The global footprint of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) is expanding, with the promotion set to host its first-ever event on the African continent. Cape Town, South Africa, is the chosen location for this landmark fight night, promising a blend of established stars and local talent.
Broadcast Details (United States)
The main card of PFL Africa will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Preliminary fights will be available for streaming via the official PFL App.
Set to take place at the Grand Arena, GrandWest, the event features a lineup designed to appeal to a wide audience, showcasing both the PFL`s standard season format and special attractions like the `Road to Dubai` series.
Main Card Highlights
Headlining the event, and part of the `Road to Dubai` portion, is the reigning PFL Middleweight Champion, Johnny Eblen. Eblen is scheduled to face Costello van Steenis in a compelling non-title bout that tests the champion against a formidable opponent outside the standard tournament structure.
The co-main event features the highly touted, undefeated 2024 Flyweight Tournament winner, Dakota Ditcheva, who steps into the cage against Sumiko Inaba. This matchup pits one of the PFL`s brightest rising stars against an experienced challenger.
Adding star power to the main card are two former Bellator champions making significant appearances. AJ McKee, a former featherweight king, returns to his long-established division to face Akhmed Magomedov. Meanwhile, former Light Heavyweight contender Corey Anderson makes an intriguing, and perhaps slightly audacious, move up in weight class to compete in the Heavyweight division against the 2024 Heavyweight Tournament Champion, Denis Goltsov. The strategic implications of Anderson`s heavyweight foray will certainly be a topic of discussion.
Rounding out the main card is a Lightweight contest between Artur Zaynukov and Takeshi Izumi.
Preliminary Card Action
Before the main card kicks off, the PFL App will stream a substantial nine-fight preliminary card. This portion of the event typically features a mix of regional fighters and emerging prospects looking to make a name for themselves on the global stage, further cementing the PFL`s commitment to developing talent worldwide, including on the African continent.
This inaugural PFL Africa event in Cape Town represents a strategic and exciting step in the promotion`s global expansion, bringing high-level mixed martial arts competition to a new and enthusiastic market.
Percy Harlow