Professional Fighters League
Mark your calendar for 19 July, when the Professional Fighters League (PFL) brings a landmark event to Cape Town's GrandWest Arena. In a first for the continent, PFL Africa will debut alongside the high-stakes PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai. The evening promises intense MMA competition, with a lineup that blends international names with top African fighters. Among the highlights is Ceileigh Niedermayr, who will make history as the first South African woman to compete in the PFL. She'll be joined by fellow South Africans Nkosi "King" Ndebele, Shannon van Tonder, and Justin Clarke, all stepping into the cage in front of a home crowd.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
34 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Virgil van Dijk and Calvin Bassey's Premeirship success to inspire St Mirren new boy Richard King
The pair, who represented Celtic and Rangers, respectively, have shown the Buddies defender the Premiership is the perfect proving ground. Richard King could follow in the footsteps of Virgil van Dijk and Calvin Bassey after his switch to St Mirren. That's the view of sports reporter Daniel Blake of the Jamaican Observer who believes the SMiSA Stadium is the ' perfect' nurturing ground for the Reggae Boyz international. Despite interest from other clubs, the centre-back has put to paper on a two-year deal in Paisley, and his move to Saints has impressed many back home after King opted to go somewhere where he can fully develop his game. Daniel feels ex-Rangers star Bassey and former Celtic favourite van Dijk are the blueprints for the defender in terms of doing well in Scotland then moving on to bigger things. 'I think this was definitely a development move for him,' Daniel told the Paisley Daily Express. 'And when I say development move, I'm not saying that he automatically would look at clubs in the Premier League or Championship. 'But I think he believes that going to St Mirren, he will have a better chance to play and this could end up being a catapult for his career. 'Look at somebody like Virgil van Dijk who started making his name at Celtic and got to Southampton, and now Liverpool regard him as one of the best defenders in the world. 'Calvin Bassey as well, who has made that transition from the Premiership to Fulham, is regarded as one of the better defenders there. 'So, I think even though he could have probably signed for one of those Premier League teams, it would have been a lot harder to get game time.' King was announced as Saints' third summer signing after Killian Phillips and Roland Idowu turned respective loan deals into permanent moves. Since the capture of the Jamaican defender, who is still on international duty in the United States at the Concacaf Gold Gup, boss Stephen Robinson has added two further signings in Liam Donnelly (Kilmarnock) and Jayden Richardson (Nottingham Forest). However, King's move to the Buddies is deeper than what it looks like on the surface, says Daniel. He explained how the Jamaican's move to a team in the English Premier League would have repercussions for the player's career. 'Even though he could have probably signed for one of those Premier League teams, it would have been a lot harder to get game time,' Daniel said. 'And because of the perception that he is Jamaican, it may be difficult if he wasn't getting game time and he would almost fall out of the system because that has happened before with our players. '[This is due to] Jamaica not being seen as a major footballing nation. If a Jamaican sort of fails, then we'll just send him back to Jamaica or maybe he goes to one of the Eastern European countries like Serbia and Slovenia, or even the MLS [in America].' But Daniel is adamant the black-and-white army will soon realise his value and potential — with King fiercely ambitious. He added: 'I think him going to Scotland is him saying, 'look, I believe that I can add value to what they've been doing there at St Mirren and I can play more and clubs will see me for who I am'. 'St Mirren obviously finished in the top six last season and, with an addition like King, he's probably thinking, 'alright, maybe we can push into the top four, even the top three' because I know that's how he's thinking.' Meanwhile, Buddies striker Owen Oseni looks set for a move to Sky Bet League One side Plymouth Argyle. The 22-year-old only joined in January for an undisclosed fee from National League outfit Gateshead and has barely featured. But the Devon outfit, now bossed by ex-Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley, are believed to fancy Oseni as they gear up for the new season. Meanwhile, young keeper Shay Kelly has joined League Two Dumbarton — where he spent some of last season on loan — after leaving Saints.
Time Out
5 hours ago
- Time Out
Professional Fighters League
Mark your calendar for 19 July, when the Professional Fighters League (PFL) brings a landmark event to Cape Town's GrandWest Arena. In a first for the continent, PFL Africa will debut alongside the high-stakes PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai. The evening promises intense MMA competition, with a lineup that blends international names with top African fighters. Among the highlights is Ceileigh Niedermayr, who will make history as the first South African woman to compete in the PFL. She'll be joined by fellow South Africans Nkosi "King" Ndebele, Shannon van Tonder, and Justin Clarke, all stepping into the cage in front of a home crowd.
The Herald Scotland
11 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
NBA draft 2025: How Trump travel ban impacts Duke's Khaman Maluach
"I watched his movie," Maluach said, referencing the 2002 film, "Rise," that chronicles Antetokounmpo and his brothers' journey to the United States and the NBA. "But just his story, his background coming from Greece and then coming to America." Maluach didn't linger long on that last part, as his advisors prefer given the geopolitics now swirling around the beginning of his career. He is not just an intriguing player in this year's NBA draft class because of his 9-foot-6 standing reach, readymade rim protection skills and rapid ascent into an elite prospect. This 18-year-old is also the only potential draftee hailing from a country currently facing a visa and travel ban by the United States. He's both the next potential face for the NBA's decades-long investment in an African basketball developmental pipeline and an unintended consequence of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. "They're trying to use leverage against these countries, and oftentimes it's through visa issuance," said Philadelphia-based immigration attorney Adam Solow. "This kid is caught up in the middle of that." NBA MOCK DRAFT 2025: AI predictions roundup for first round picks Trump travel bans: How they impact 2025 NBA draft, Khaman Maluach A quirk related to Maluach's visa situation will play out on Wednesday night at the 2025 NBA Draft. The NBA is preparing for the complicated scenario that would be triggered if Maluach were to be taken by the Toronto Raptors with the No. 9 overall pick. Given the current Trump administration policy related to South Sudan, two NBA league officials familiar with Maluach's visa status told USA TODAY Sports that he would have to apply for a United States tourism visa and a waiver to South Sudan's travel ban any time he enters the United States if he plays for the Raptors. That would also be in addition to having to obtain a Canadian work visa. The Raptors had to cross the United States border from Canada for road games 19 times based on their 2024-25 schedule. If Maluach were to be drafted by any of the 29 other NBA teams, the two league officials said he would only have to apply for a waiver upon re-entering the United States each time his future team played at Toronto. "This would be among the more complicated (situations) for a draftee," said one of the NBA league officials familiar with Maluach's situation and granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic. "This is representative of a more difficult global environment." The NBA's evolution into an international business, with MVP winners from outside the United States the past seven years, has often put the league at the forefront of immigration issues that arise due to events and policies occurring around the world outside the realm of sport. Maluach became the league's most prominent case of this in 2025 on the same day Duke played in the Final Four in April. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa and travel restrictions on South Sudan that remain in place ahead of the start to the NBA draft. "Enforcing our nation's immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States," a State Department spokesperson wrote in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports on June 20. "In accordance with the April 5 decision made by Secretary Rubio, the Department took appropriate steps to revoke visas held by South Sudanese passport holders. South Sudanese passport holders who were notified of their visa revocation are not required to depart the United States before their Admit Until Date. Any future travel to the United States will require a new visa application." The spokesperson added that the State Department does not generally comment on actions related to specific visa cases due to concerns about privacy and visa confidentiality. More details about the policy related to South Sudan have emerged in court. A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled on May 21 that the Trump administration violated a previous order when it attempted to send migrants convicted of serious crimes in the United States to third countries - in this case, South Sudan - without providing clear information and ample time to raise any concerns about being sent to that country. But the Supreme Court agreed on Monday, June 23 to pause that order in a 6-3 decision, allowing migrants to be deported to third countries, including South Sudan. An executive action issued by President Trump on June 4 stated entry into the United States is fully suspended for those from South Sudan because the country "lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures." It also included a clause providing an exemption for "any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State." The two NBA officials told USA TODAY Sports the league does not believe Maluach is in danger of being deported and it is comfortable with the process to apply for a waiver to the Trump administration travel ban based on how often it runs into complex international visa situations, including the travel bans Trump instituted during his first term in the White House. "The NBA has a voice in this that is bigger and louder and more influential," said Ksenia Maiorova, an Orlando, Florida-based immigration attorney who works extensively with international college athletes to obtain visas. Maluach, according to the NBA officials familiar with the matter, had been playing at Duke on a student visa and the university has been helping him during the transition between his college season and the draft. Upon being drafted Wednesday, Maluach would be eligible to apply for an O1 or P1 visa given by the United States to professional athletes and those with "extraordinary abilities." Duke, through an athletics department spokesperson, declined to comment when USA TODAY Sports sought comment on its role in Maluach's visa situation. Maluach told USA TODAY Sports at the NBA Draft combine in May that his representatives at Klutch Sports are dealing with any potential visa issues. A spokesperson at Klutch Sports declined to comment when reached by USA TODAY Sports. "I let them handle that and focus on what's important to me and what's ahead of me," Maluach said. Why Khaman Maluach is so important for NBA in Africa They all use some variation of the same phrase to describe Khaman Maluach, even the biggest star of the 2025 NBA Draft. "Everything about him is so pure," said Cooper Flagg, Maluach's teammate at Duke this past season and the presumptive No. 1 pick this year. "Some people you can just tell their intentions and whether they are pure. Khaman is one of those people." The NBA sees a model for future African players in Maluach. He joined the NBA Academy Africa as a 14-year-old, leaving his family in Uganda to join a first-of-its-kind elite basketball training center in Senegal despite having never played organized basketball before. In just a few years' time, he blossomed in a program the NBA began in 2017 to "double down on a new way of player development and investment on the continent," according to Troy Justice, the NBA's senior vice president of international basketball. Maluach eventually competed against professionals for three seasons in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) through a partnership between the league and NBA Academy Africa, and also impressed scouts at Basketball Without Borders camps and G League showcases. He then played for South Sudan's first Olympic basketball team at the 2024 Paris Games. Maluach said the NBA Academy program "not only shaped me on the basketball court, but ... I had to learn to be a man off the basketball court and the Academy helped me through all that." More than 50 African basketball players have earned Division-I scholarships through NBA Academy Africa, with two already in the NBA. But none of them are the level of prospect Maluach became in short order. He is expected to be the first first-round draft pick to emerge from NBA Academy Africa. "Draft night is going to be life-changing for him," Justice said. "His (journey) has been very unique, special in a lot of ways because it connects all his dots. It literally shows the NBA's complete pathway." Maluach is part of a wave of players that has seen multiple generations of Africans like them make it to the NBA from seemingly remote circumstances. He believed those around him when they said he could do it, too. Only how quickly he got here seems far-fetched to him at this point. Maluach is still considered a work-in-progress by NBA scouts because of his limited experience, with an offensive skill set and on-court instincts that will require patience from the team that drafts him. But his length and defensive potential, and the reality he's much closer to the start of his career than any other prospect on the board, could make him a top-10 pick if the mock drafts are correct. Maluach thinks about the possibility with wonder, unbothered by the conflicts going on around him, just like when he arrived at that first basketball camp and his road to the NBA draft really began. "I saw a lot of tall people happy, and I was like, 'This is where I belong,'" Maluach said.
