Latest news with #PFLAfricaTournament
IOL News
a day ago
- Sport
- IOL News
PFL Africa debuts in Cape Town with landmark 14-fight card
Current Light Heavyweight World Champion Corey Anderson will move up a division to face 2024 PFL Heavyweight Champion Denis Goltsov on the Champions Series card on July 19 at Grand West Casino in Cape Town. Photo: PFL Image: PFL Fight fans will be pleased to know that the first PFL Africa fight card is officially locked in. The Professional Fighters League is one of the biggest MMA brands alongside the UFC, and will now be the first major organisation to break ground on the continent next month in Cape Town, South Africa. On 19 July, at the Grand Arena in GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World, some of Africa's most talented mixed martial artists will have the opportunity to make a big statement and embark on a journey to PFL gold in the 2025 PFL Africa Tournament. The show will also feature world-renowned combat sports stars, forming part of an exciting and historic 14-fight card. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ This event marks a landmark moment for South Africa and the African continent as the PFL continues its global expansion plan following the launch of other leagues, including PFL MENA and PFL Europe. This vision aims to bolster the African combat sports market and ecosystem. The launch of the 2025 PFL Africa Tournament will include first-round matchups in the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions, each comprising an eight-man bracket. The tournament will span four events across Africa and feature 24 elite fighters from 14 African countries. In addition to tournament bouts, next month's show will be headlined by five high-stakes PFL Champions Series fights featuring elite global talent. Among the fighters competing on the PFL Africa card will be South Africa's former BRAVE CF Bantamweight champion Nkosi Ndebele, who takes on Egypt's Mahmoud Atef. Also fighting in the Bantamweight knockout tournament is EFC star and Zimbabwe's unbeaten Simbarashe Hokonya, who will face another undefeated prospect in Cameroon's Alain Majorique. In the Heavyweight bracket, South Africa's Justin Clarke meets Majorique's compatriot Jashell Ticha Awa, while Senegal's Abdoullah Kane clashes with Morocco's Mohammad Ben Yahia. In a showcase Women's Strawweight bout, the dangerous and unbeaten Nigerian Juliet Ukah faces South Africa's Ceileigh Niedermayr, a seasoned competitor under the bright international lights. In the Champions Series, fans can expect to see some of their favourite global stars. At 145 pounds, former Bellator Featherweight World Champion AJ 'Mercenary' McKee returns to the SmartCage to face Akhmed Magomedov, a rising Russian talent and protégé of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov. Also confirmed is a Heavyweight showcase featuring current Light Heavyweight World Champion Corey Anderson, who moves up a division to take on 2024 PFL Heavyweight Champion Denis Goltsov. Artur Zaynukov returns to the PFL following an impressive showing at Battle of the Giants, aiming to extend his win streak to six. He faces RIZIN veteran Takeshi Izumi of Japan, a decorated wrestler who earned a unanimous decision over Spike Carlyle in his most recent outing. Headlining the evening is undefeated Middleweight World Champion Johnny 'Pressure' Eblen, who puts his perfect record and title on the line against Spain's surging contender Costello 'The Spaniard' van Steenis (16-3). In the co-main event, Women's Flyweight phenom 'Dangerous' Dakota Ditcheva, widely considered one of the top pound-for-pound female fighters in MMA, takes on Hawaii's elite striker Sumiko 'Lady Samurai' Inaba in a thrilling penultimate bout. In July 2024, the PFL announced its third international league—PFL Africa—following the launches of PFL Europe and PFL MENA, with the aim of showcasing African talent on the global stage. Former UFC Heavyweight and current global combat superstar, Cameroon's Francis Ngannou, serves as acting chairman of the league. He will also take on a pivotal ambassadorial role to grow the Professional Fighters League in the Motherland and develop the next generation of African champions. 'Kicking off the PFL Champions Series in Cape Town alongside the launch of PFL Africa reflects our commitment to grow the sport of MMA throughout the continent, as well as provide pathways for African fighters to compete on a global stage and become champions,' says Peter Murray, CEO of the Professional Fighters League. 'With PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and now PFL Africa launching, PFL's international growth strategy and footprint are unmatched in the sport. This is all made possible by building a great team. I'm proud to partner with Francis Ngannou and Helios Sports & Entertainment Group, and excited to welcome Elias Schulze as GM of PFL Africa.' The PFL Cape Town event begins at 4:30 p.m. SAST / 10:30 a.m. EST with the PFL Africa portion of the card, followed by the PFL Champions Series at 8:30 p.m. SAST / 2:30 p.m. EST. A U.S. broadcast partner will be announced shortly. Tickets for this landmark event are on sale now via Ticketpro and are moving quickly.
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
PFL Africa moves debut event to July 19; tickets on sale this Thursday
Former UFC Heavyweight and current global combat superstar, Cameroon's Francis Ngannou, is the acting chairman of PFL Africa and will also play a pivotal ambassadorial role in further growing the Professional Fighters League on the Motherland and finding and developing the next generation of African champions. | Professional Fighters League PFL Africa's first event has officially been brought forward by one week, with tickets set to go on sale this Thursday, 22 May. Originally scheduled for 26 July, the event will now take place on 19 July at the Grand Arena in GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World, located in Goodwood, Cape Town. In an exclusive interview with Independent Media and MzansiMMA, PFL Africa's General Manager, Elias Schulze, confirmed that South African ticketing platform TicketPro will be the official distributor for the event. 'We like TicketPro's approach, we like their reach, and we believe that they will offer us a viable way to access the right market. We want people to have this access across whatever mechanisms—if it's purely mobile, that's fine. If they need to purchase tickets at selected stores offering the service, such as PostNet or Spar, that's also fine. Let's go where the people are,' said Schulze. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00 am SAST. The arrival of PFL is set to be a major boost for African MMA, as the global mixed martial arts promotion continues to grow in popularity, rivalling even the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The Grand Arena will make history as the first venue in Africa to host a major international MMA event. The night will feature 18 top African athletes entering the SmartCage as they begin their journey to claim the PFL Africa title in a knockout tournament. Headlining PFL Africa's inaugural event will be South Africa's Nkosi Ndebele (8-3), who faces Egypt's rising contender Mahmoud Atef (5-2) in a thrilling Bantamweight semi-final. In the co-main event, Cameroon's Maxwell Djantou Nana (6-1) squares off against Ivory Coast's Mikael Groguhe (6-2) in a battle of heavy-handed finishers. The card will also showcase a special Women's Strawweight bout featuring undefeated Nigerian prospect Juliet Ukah (6-0). Her opponent is to be announced shortly. The PFL Africa Tournament will kick off with eight-man brackets in the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions. The full tournament schedule and remaining host cities for the semi-finals and finals will be announced soon. In total, 32 fighters representing 15 African nations will compete across four weight classes in 2025, as the league begins a continent-wide journey to crown the first-ever PFL Africa Champions. The launch event will also set the stage for the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai card, bringing the world's best MMA talent to Africa. Headlining that card will be undefeated Middleweight World Champion Johnny Eblen, who defends his title against Spain's Costello Van Steenis. In the co-main event, Dakota Ditcheva will face Sumiko Inaba in a Women's Flyweight clash. Additional bouts in the Champions Series will be announced in due course. In July 2024, PFL announced the creation of its third international league, PFL Africa, following the success of PFL Europe and PFL MENA. The league aims to showcase African talent on a global platform. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current global combat sports icon, Cameroon's Francis Ngannou, serves as the acting chairman of the league and plays a pivotal ambassadorial role, aiming to develop the next generation of African champions. The PFL Africa launch is further supported by strategic broadcast partnerships to ensure wide-reaching distribution across sub-Saharan Africa. For those unable to attend the event in person, all fights will be broadcast live on SuperSport. Coverage will also be available on Canal+, the official broadcaster for French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. To further expand access, PFL has launched a mobile-first platform, distributed in partnership with Content For Mobile (CFM) through leading telecommunications providers. This initiative aims to deliver affordable MMA content directly to fans and reach over 90% of African households. More details on streaming and broadcasting will be shared in the coming weeks.
IOL News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
PFL Africa launches in Cape Town with Inaugural MMA tournament this July
Former UFC Heavyweight king and current PFL Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is the acting PFL chairman and will play an integral role in building the PFL Africa brand and building its talent Image: BRAVE CF South Africa's Mixed Martial Arts scene will receive a significant boost this year as the Professional Fighters League (PFL) launches the historic and much-anticipated PFL Africa tournament in Cape Town this July. The PFL is one of the biggest MMA brands alongside the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and it will now be the first major organisation to break ground on the continent. The PFL has confirmed that July 26 will mark the official opening of the 2025 PFL Africa Tournament. The show will run in conjunction with the PFL Champions Series in a joint event, which will be rolled out at the GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World's Grand Arena. The PFL Africa 2025 tournament will comprise four events across Africa, featuring 24 top fighters from 14 African countries. The Cape Town leg of the PFL Africa Tournament will showcase athletes in the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions. Former BRAVE CF Bantamweight champion Nkosi Ndebele has signed with the Professional Fighters League and will debut at PFL Africa on July 26 at the Grand Arena in Cape Town. Photo: PFL Image: PFL Each division will feature an eight-man bracket, with fighters progressing through semi-finals and finals. Among the fighters on the day will be South Africa's former BRAVE CF Bantamweight champion, Nkosi Ndebele, who will take on Egypt's Mahmoud Atef. Another fan favourite and EFC star, Zimbabwe's unbeaten Simbarashe Hokonya, will battle Morocco's Abderrahman Errachidy in the same division. In the Heavyweight category, South Africa's Justin Clark will face Cameroon's Jashell Ticha Awa, while Senegal's Abdoullah Kane meets Morocco's Mohammad Ben Yahia. Ndebele recently bid farewell to BRAVE CF after becoming the promotion's first 'homegrown' champion. Many were up in arms wondering where he would go next, and it seemed inevitable that he would join one of the major brands. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The debut night of the PFL Africa Tournament will include five major international bouts as part of the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai. The PFL Champions Series features MMA world champions and top PFL stars competing in title fights, with each event culminating in a showdown in Dubai. In the world title main event at the Grand Arena, undefeated middleweight world champion Johnny Eblen will face Spain's Costello van Steenis. The co-main event will see the formidable Dakota Ditcheva go head-to-head with Hawaii's Sumiko Inaba in a world-class Women's Flyweight clash. In July 2024, the PFL announced its third international league — PFL Africa — after PFL Europe and PFL MENA, aiming to showcase African talent on the world stage. Former UFC Heavyweight and current global combat sports superstar, Cameroon's Francis Ngannou, is the acting chairman of the league and will also play a pivotal ambassadorial role in growing the Professional Fighters League on the Mother Continent, as well as in discovering and developing the next generation of African champions. Francis Ngannou. Photo: AFP Image: AFP 'Kicking off the PFL Champions Series in Cape Town alongside the launch of PFL Africa reflects our commitment to grow the sport of MMA throughout the continent, as well as provide pathways for African fighters to compete on a global stage and become champions,' says Peter Murray, CEO of the Professional Fighters League. 'With PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and now PFL Africa launching, PFL's international growth strategy and footprint are unmatched in the sport. This is all made possible by building a great team. I'm proud to partner with Francis Ngannou and Helios Sports & Entertainment Group, and excited to welcome Elias Schulze as GM of PFL Africa.' The full tournament schedule, including future host cities and dates, will be revealed soon. Ticket and broadcast details will also be announced in due course.
