Dakota Ditcheva is set to make her return to the PFL cage as the promotion launches its new venture in Africa this summer. The 2024 flyweight champion is widely recognized as one of the most formidable female fighters globally and, alongside Paul Hughes, is arguably PFL’s most prominent homegrown talent. Previously, she had voiced concerns about not having a fight scheduled this year after competing in two consecutive seasons (European and Global formats).
It has now been confirmed by the promotion that her upcoming fight will take place on July 26th at the inaugural PFL Africa event, held in Cape Town, South Africa. She is scheduled to face Bellator veteran Sumiko Inaba. The event`s lineup will also feature Johnny Eblen defending his middleweight championship against Costello Van Steenis.
PFL Africa launches July 26th in Cape Town with key bouts including Dakota Ditcheva
Following years of preparation, the PFL has officially confirmed that their first-ever PFL Africa event will occur on July 26th in Cape Town. This landmark event will see the introduction of multiple eight-man tournaments and will be headlined by a `Champions Series` showcase.
The headline portion includes Dakota Ditcheva`s first bout since her victory in last year’s $1 million PFL Global tournament. Middleweight title action is also confirmed, with further fights expected to be announced at a later date.
Initial tournament bouts confirmed for PFL Africa include a heavyweight clash between Jashell Ticha Awa of Cameroon and Justin Clarke of South Africa, and another heavyweight fight featuring Abdoullah Kane from Senegal against Mohammad Ben Yahia from Morocco. In the bantamweight division, South Africa’s Nkosi Ndebele is slated to face Mahmoud Atef of Egypt. The final confirmed fight announced so far pits Simbarashe Hokonya of Zimbabwe against Abderrahman Errachidy of Morocco in the bantamweight category.
Francis Ngannou chairs the PFL Africa project
Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is heading up the PFL Africa project. He serves as Chairman, working alongside PFL CEO Peter Murray and Elias Schulze from Helios Sports & Entertainment Group, who were instrumental in launching NBA Africa.
PFL CEO Peter Murray commented on the launch in a statement. He highlighted, “Kicking off the PFL Champions Series in Cape Town alongside the launch of PFL Africa reflects our commitment to grow the sport of MMA throughout the continent as well as provide pathways for African fighters to compete on a global stage and become champions.” Murray added that with the recent launches of PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and now PFL Africa, PFL’s international expansion strategy and presence are unmatched in the sport. He concluded by expressing pride in the team, his partnership with Francis Ngannou and Helios Sports & Entertainment Group, and his excitement to welcome Elias Schulze as the new GM of PFL Africa.
