The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced that tickets for its inaugural PFL Africa event in Cape Town will go on sale on Thursday, May 22 via Ticketpro here.
Marking a major milestone for the MMA sport, PFL Africa 1 will take place on Saturday, 19 July at GrandWest Arena, one week earlier than originally announced, showcasing Africa’s top fighting talent across Bantamweight and Heavyweight divisions. This landmark event will be the first in the continent hosted by a global MMA organisation, with 18 elite African athletes set to compete in high-stakes bouts inside the PFL SmartCage.
Headlining the night, South Africa’s own Nkosi Ndebele (8-3) will face Egypt’s rising contender Mahmoud Atef (5-2) in a thrilling Bantamweight Semifinal. In the co-main event, Cameroon’s Maxwell Djantou Nana (6-1) will take on Ivory Coast’s Mikael Groguhe (6-2) in a battle of heavy-handed finishers.
Also on the card is a fight between South African talent Shannon Van Tonder (7-2) and Boule Godogo (3-0), and an exciting Women’s Strawweight Showcase Bout featuring Nigeria’s undefeated Juliet Ukah (6-0). Her opponent will be announced soon.
The inaugural PFL Africa Tournament will feature eight-man brackets in each weight class, starting with the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions. The full tournament schedule and host cities for the semifinals and finals will be announced.
In total, 32 fighters representing 15 African nations will compete across the four PFL Africa divisions in 2025, as the league embarks on a continent wide journey to crown the first-ever PFL Africa Champions.
The inaugural PFL Africa will also set the scene and precede a PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai card, bringing the world’s best MMA talent to Africa.
At the top of the bill will be Johnny “Pressure” Eblen (16-0) who will look to keep his undefeated record intact and his World Championship by his side as he faces Spain’s surging Costello “The Spaniard” van Steenis (16-3). In the co-main event will be Dakota “Dangerous” Ditcheva (14-0), widely regarded as the best women’s pound-for-pound MMA fighter, as she faces off against the elite Hawaiian, Sumiko “Lady Samurai” Inaba (8-1) in the penultimate bout of the evening. Additional Champions Series bouts will be announced.
The full fight card for the inaugural PFL Africa 1 event on July 19 is as follows:
Updated PFL Africa 1 Card: Saturday, 19 July 2025
Bantamweight First Round Main Event: Nkosi Ndebele (8-3) vs. Mahmoud Atef (5-2)
Heavyweight First Round Co-Main Event: Maxwell Djantou Nana (6-1) vs. Mikael Groguhe (6-2)
Bantamweight First Round Bout: Shannon Van Tonder (7-2) vs. Boule Godogo (3-0)
Heavyweight First Round Bout: Jashell Ticha Awa (3-1) vs. Justin Clarke (2-0)
Bantamweight First Round Bout: Antero Dos Santos (5-0) vs. Karim Henniene (4-0)
Heavyweight First Round Bout: Abdoullah Kane (3-0) vs. Mohammed Ben Yahia (9-4)
Bantamweight First Round Bout: Simbarashe Hokonya (5-0) vs. Alain Majorique (5-0)
Heavyweight First Round Bout: Badredinne Medkouri (7-2) vs. TBD
Showcase Women’s Strawweight Bout: Juliet Ukah (6-0) vs. TBD
Updated PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai Card:
Middleweight World Championship Main Event: Johnny Eblen (16-0) vs. Costello Van Steenis (16-3)
Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event: Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) vs. Sumiko Inaba (8-1)