Cape Town is set to host the first-ever global MMA event on African soil as the Professional Fighters League (PFL) lands at the Grand Arena, GrandWest this July.
If you’re into high-stakes sport, bone-rattling takedowns, or simply being part of a seismic moment in African sports history, this one’s for you.
The night marks the official launch of PFL Africa, a new tournament series spotlighting rising African talent, with first-round heavyweight and bantamweight clashes.
Then the energy turns up several notches with the PFL Champions Series, headlined by a serious lineup of elite fighting talent.
Who will you see in the cage?
Topping the card is undefeated middleweight champ Johnny “Pressure” Eblen, defending his title against Spain’s Costello “The Spaniard” van Steenis.
You’ll also catch former Bellator featherweight king AJ “Mercenary” McKee facing off with Russia’s Akhmed Magomedov, and fan favourite Corey Anderson moving up in weight to challenge 2024 heavyweight champ Denis Goltsov.
On the women’s side, undefeated flyweight phenom Dakota Ditcheva will meet Hawaii’s Sumiko “Lady Samurai” Inaba in what promises to be a fiery co-main event.
Key details:
Where: Grand Arena, GrandWest
When: Saturday, 19 July
Start time: 4.30 pm (PFL Africa) | 8.30 pm (Champions Series)
Tickets: via Ticketpro
This is Cape Town’s chance to see world-class MMA up close and support local fighters staking their claim on the global stage. Don’t miss it.