Latest news with #PFLChampionsSeries:RoadtoDubai
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Johnny Eblen, Dakota Ditcheva to compete in inaugural PFL Africa event in July
PFL's debut event in Africa will feature two of the promotion's biggest stars. PFL Africa, led by chairman Francis Ngannou, officially is set to launch July 26 at GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, promotion officials announced Wednesday morning. Headlining the event will be Bellator champion Johnny Eblen (16-0), who defends his middleweight title against Costello van Steenis (16-3). In the co-main event, 2024 PFL women's flyweight champion Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) meets Hawaii's Sumiko Inaba (8-1). 𝘼𝙁𝙍𝙄𝘾𝘼. 𝙒𝙀 𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙄𝙉𝙂 😤 PFL Africa launches Saturday 26th July at the GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, South Africa! New stars will be born ⭐️ Champions will emerge 👑 History will be made 🔥#PFLCapeTown | Saturday July 26⁰GrandWest Arena | South Africa — PFLAfrica (@PFLAfrica) May 7, 2025 The fights featuring Eblen and Ditcheva are taking place under the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai branding, with three more expected to follow. It'll mark Eblen's first action since Oct. 19, 2024 when he defended his belt against Fabian Edwards. Ditcheva will compete for the first time since Nov. 29, 2024 when she defeated former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in the 2024 women's flyweight final. The PFL Africa portion of the card marks the launch of the inaugural PFL Africa tournament, which features eight-man brackets in the heavyweight and bantamweight divisions. As of now, half of each field is set, with the PFL saying it will announce the remaining bouts soon. The current PFL Africa card includes: Johnny Eblen vs. Costello van Steenis – for middleweight title Dakota Ditcheva vs. Sumiko Inaba Justin Clarke vs. Jashell Ticha Awa – PFL Africa heavyweight quarterfinal Mahmoud Atef vs. Nkosi Ndebele – PFL Africa bantamweight quarterfinal Abdoullah Kane vs. Mohammad Ben Yahia – PFL Africa heavyweight quarterfinal Abderrahman Errachidy vs. Simbarashe Hokonya – PFL Africa bantamweight quarterfinal This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Johnny Eblen, Dakota Ditcheva return at inaugural PFL Africa event
USA Today
07-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Johnny Eblen, Dakota Ditcheva to compete in inaugural PFL Africa event in July
Johnny Eblen, Dakota Ditcheva to compete in inaugural PFL Africa event in July PFL's debut event in Africa will feature two of the promotion's biggest stars. PFL Africa, led by chairman Francis Ngannou, officially is set to launch July 26 at GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, promotion officials announced Wednesday morning. Headlining the event will be Bellator champion Johnny Eblen (16-0), who defends his middleweight title against Costello van Steenis (16-3). In the co-main event, 2024 PFL women's flyweight champion Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) meets Hawaii's Sumiko Inaba (8-1). The fights featuring Eblen and Ditcheva are taking place under the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai branding, with three more expected to follow. It'll mark Eblen's first action since Oct. 19, 2024 when he defended his belt against Fabian Edwards. Ditcheva will compete for the first time since Nov. 29, 2024 when she defeated former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in the 2024 women's flyweight final. The PFL Africa portion of the card marks the launch of the inaugural PFL Africa tournament, which features eight-man brackets in the heavyweight and bantamweight divisions. As of now, half of each field is set, with the PFL saying it will announce the remaining bouts soon. The current PFL Africa card includes:
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
PFL's Paul Hughes: Usman Nurmagomedov can try to delay rematch, but 'his time will come'
PFL's Paul Hughes: Usman Nurmagomedov can try to delay rematch, but 'his time will come' Paul Hughes believes running things back with Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov is inevitable. Hughes (13-2) takes on Bruno Miranda (17-5) in the PFL Europe 1: Belfast main event May 10 at SSE Arena. "Big News" pushed Nurmagomedov to the brink in their title fight in the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai headliner this past January but wound up losing a majority decision. Hughes was confident that he had done enough to get his hand raised and sees a big rebound win over Miranda leading to the Nurmagomedov rematch. "No question, that is the fight that everybody wants to see, and it is the fight that will happen," Hughes told MMA Junkie Radio of Nurmagomedov. "Probably at the end of this year. There's no question there. He can try to delay it as long as he can, but his time will come." Despite seeing his seven-fight win streak snapped, Hughes doesn't feel like he lost too much momentum from the Nurmagomedov loss. However, the 28-year-old is fully aware of the expectations to deliver in front of his home crowd. "I think that, if anything, people will be expecting me to run through Bruno," Hughes said. "They'll be expecting an incredible performance. Just my last couple, and that's why there is kind of added pressure here to deliver because Bruno is the type of guy who could spoil a party if you're not on your game. So there is certainly some extra momentum there." Hughes is ready to live up to those expectations. "I see a viral knockout to be honest," Hughes said. "I see a viral knockout."
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Paul Hughes headlines PFL Belfast event vs. Bruno Miranda on May 10
PFL standout Paul Hughes will return to home soil for his next fight. Hughes (13-2) takes on Bruno Miranda (17-5) in the PFL Belfast main event May 10 at SSE Arena, promotion officials announced Wednesday morning. 𝘽𝙄𝙂 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 𝙑𝙎. 𝙍𝙊𝘽𝙐𝙎𝙏𝙊 💥 Paul Hughes takes on Brazilian knockout artist Bruno Miranda in a blockbuster lightweight main event on May 10 at #PFLBelfast! Returning home after a razor close decision loss to Usman Nurmagomedov in Dubai, @paulhughesmma completes a… — PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) March 12, 2025 Hughes is coming off a majority decision defeat to Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov in the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai headliner this past January, a fight he thought he won. The loss snapped the 27-year-old's seven-fight winning streak. Brazil's Miranda most recently competed in June when he defeated Patricky Freire by split decision in the second round of the 2024 PFL lightweight season. The win snapped a two-fight losing skid.
USA Today
15-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Usman Nurmagomedov encourages humility in response to Conor McGregor's criticism of Paul Hughes
Conor McGregor was upset with his fellow countryman Paul Hughes for being cordial with Usman Nurmagomedov and his camp. Nurmagomedov (19-0) defeated Hughes (13-2) by majority decision in the main event of PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai, a result that McGregor felt was a robbery. The Irishman took things to another level by going at Hughes after the fight because he said he was 'not like this other guy' in reference to McGregor and his history with Khabib Nurmagomedov and the Dagestani camp. 'Honestly, it was crazy,' Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie. 'Paul is good guy. We spoke with him a little bit. He's a really good guy.' Hughes' response to the situation was one of dismissal, as he no longer looks up to the man McGregor is now, as he has found himself in multiple legal issues over the years. Nurmagomedov believes it's up to McGregor to hold himself to a higher standard because he still has a very large following. 'This is hard time for people, to be honest, and you have to be a good example,' Nurmagomedov said. 'Because everyone right now living on the phone, on the media they're watching, they're following. When you show these people some bad examples, this is very bad. You have to understand, brother, a lot of people watching you. You have to be good example.' Nurmagomedov, 26, will be the first to admit he's not perfect, but because of his platform, he strives to be a better person for himself and the fans that follow his career. 'I try to follow these rules,' Nurmagomedov said. 'I'm not good guy. I'm not so sure. I'm not 100 percent good guy. I'm not so kind, I'm not so humble; I know this. But I have to be. I have to try. I have to learn. I have to change some things, my mistakes. 'I have to be because of the young people who grow, they're watching me. When I walk outside, it doesn't matter in Italy, Milan, Paris, in my homeland, they come, they try to take photos. They wish me some good stuff. This is why you have to be good example for the people.'
