PFL Cape Town presents a historic night for the PFL and Africa, as global MMA action has touched down in the continent with both the second edition of the PFL Champions Series and the first-ever PFL Africa event — and MMA News has you covered with all the action.
A card in Africa has been a longtime coming for the PFL since its signing of Francis Ngannou in 2023 — with Ngannou being named a part-owner and chairman of PFL Africa. PFL Africa is the latest region-specific venture of the PFL’s, following its launch of PFL Europe in 2023 and PFL MENA in 2024.
This evening will simultaneously mark the second edition of PFL Champions Series — developed as part of the slew of changes made by PFL for 2025 that included the elimination of the Bellator brand.
Those championships will carry on, however, as seen in the main event of PFL Champions Series 2, as now-PFL middleweight champion Johnny Eblen defends the title against Costello Van Steenis.
Eblen won the then-Bellator middleweight title by defeating Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 282, retaining the belt against Anatoly Tokov at Bellator 290 and Fabian Edwards at Bellator 299. Since the PFL’s purchase of Bellator, Eblen scored a split decision win over Impa Kasaganay at PFL vs. Bellator Champions and retained against Edwards again at PFL Battle of the Giants last October.
Van Steenis comes into this title shot off two straight wins, submitting Gregory Babene at the Bellator Champions Series event in Paris in May 2024 before a 48-second head kick knockout of João Vitor Dantas at the PFL World Championships last fall.
Dakota Ditcheva, the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight champion and 2023 PFL Europe women’s flyweight champion, returns to action tonight against Sumiko Inaba, who defeated Saray Orozco and Mackenzie Stiller last year.
The PFL Africa 1 portion of the evening will see the African-focused promotion’s tournaments kick off with first-round heavyweight and bantamweight action.
PFL Cape Town begins with PFL Africa 1 action at 10am ET/7am PT on the PFL App, while PFL Champions Series 2 starts at 2pm ET/11 am PT on ESPN+. If you can’t watch the action, MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights below.
PFL Cape Town: PFL Champions Series 2: Johnny Eblen vs. Costello Van Steenis & PFL Africa 1 Results & Highlights
PFL Champions Series 2:
- Middleweight Championship: Costello Van Steenis def. Johnny Eblen via submission (rear-naked choke) (R5, 4:51)
- Women’s Flyweight: Dakota Ditcheva def. Sumiko Inaba via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Featherweight: A.J. McKee def. Akhmed Magomedov via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Lightweight: Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Takeshi Izumi via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Heavyweight: Corey Anderson def. Denis Goltsov via TKO (R2, 3:28)
PFL Africa 1:
- Bantamweight: Nkosi Ndebele def. Mahmoud Atef via TKO (R1, 4:50)
- Heavyweight: Maxwell Djantou Nana def. Mickaël Groguhe via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Bantamweight: Boule Godogo def. Shannon van Tonder via split decision (30-26, 28-29, 29-27)
- Heavyweight: Justin Clarke def. Jashell Ticha Awa via TKO (corner stoppage) (R1, 5:00)
- Bantamweight: Karim Henniene def. Asiashu Tshitamba via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
- Heavyweight: Joffie Houlton def. Abdoullah Kane via DQ (illegal strikes) (R1, 0:40)
- Bantamweight: Simbarashe Hokonya def. Frans Mlambo via unanimous decision (30-26 x2, 30-25)
- Heavyweight: Abraham Bably def. Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze via KO (R1, 4:59)
- Women’s Strawweight Showcase: Juliet Ukah def. Ceileigh Niedermayr via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
