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Arab News
a day ago
- Sport
- Arab News
PFL Africa stars Juliet Ukah and Ceileigh Niedermayr train in front of fans at open workout
KINSHASA: As the countdown continues to the start of the inaugural season of PFL Africa on July 19, Professional Fighters League stars Juliet Ukah from Nigeria and Ceileigh Niedermayr from South Africa took part in an open workout on Wednesday. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The fighters, who will face off in a Showcase Women's Strawweight Bout during the PFL Africa opener at the Grand Arena, GrandWest in Cape Town next month, showcased their skills for fans and media at the public training session, which took place at the Champions Academy RDC Gym in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 'I'm very happy to be on the first PFL Africa card and my fight with Ceileigh is going to be an exciting one,' said Ukah. 'We're going to be representing the two biggest MMA nations in Africa and we want to help put African MMA in the global spotlight. 'Compared to her, I think I'm the more experienced fighter and the better striker, so I'm comfortable wherever the fight goes.' She added that expects to get the finish but would not mind if the fight went to a third round if needed. Niedermayr said: 'It's truly an honor to be part of the first-ever women's fight in PFL Africa. This fight camp isn't just about preparing for my next opponent, it's a reflection of my lifelong dedication to martial arts. 'On fight night, I'm bringing a new level of 'Smiley Savagery' to the SmartCage,' she added, referring to her professional nickname. 'I have a lot of respect for Juliet as a fighter and I welcome the chance to test myself against her.' She said she has never faced anyone like Ukah and expects an 'exciting, high-level battle and I'm ready for it.' The historic PFL Cape Town event will mark the start of the 2025 PFL Africa Tournament and feature first-round matchups in the heavyweight and bantamweight divisions. The headline bouts include five must-see PFL Champions Series clashes, including a Middleweight World Championship main event in which titleholder Johnny 'Pressure' Eblen (with a record of 16-0) will take on challenger Costello 'The Spaniard' van Steenis (16-3). Tickets for the event are available from Ticketpro.
RNZ News
18-06-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Hooker to host female 'battle royal' in backyard
An earlier event that Dan Hooker hosted in his backyard. Photo: youtube UFC fighter Dan Hooker is bringing back his controversial backyard brawls, inviting 32 women to fight it out for $50,000. In a post on his Facebook page alongside former world middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, Hooker called on female fighters to throwdown in his backyard for his second '1 min scraps' event. "Alright, we are going to let the girls play next, we are going to find out who's the baddest b***h in town," Hooker said. Adesanya added the prize up for grabs. "50k, one minute, or just as long as it takes to finish these b*****s in his backyard." Hooker then implied he would be opening the door for criminals to compete. "So what I need from you ladies is your name, your weight and your record, and maybe send me a little video of you doing something illegal so I know I can trust ya." Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker announcing the 32 women backyard battle royal. Photo: facebook The UFC lightweight courted controversy in May when he hosted his inaugural 32-man, one-minute fist fight tournament. It saw a senior Mongrel Mob member referred to police, as he was wearing an ankle bracelet. The event prompted New Zealand's Boxing Coaches Association president Billy Meehan to call the event "straight-out thuggery". "What you've got there is just thugs getting in there and going out and they're just like absolutely smashing each other and we're going to see somebody get seriously hurt, if not killed." Following the backlash, Hooker went on the on-line combat sport programme the Ariel Helwani Show last month, and vowed to host more events. "There's a few lefties having a sulk, but once everyone watches the full 45 minutes and sees the respect for the fighters, since when did putting gloves on in the backyard and having a punch up become illegal?" he said. "Since when is that a crime?" -RNZ
