The inaugural season of PFL Africa kicks off with a historic fight card tomorrow in Cape Town, South Africa

Johnny Eblen and Costello Van Steenis make weight for their PFL Middleweight World Championship main event, while Dakota Ditcheva and Sumiko Inaba successfully weigh-in for their Women’s Flyweight Showcase co-main event

The First Round of the PFL Africa Bantamweight and Heavyweight Tournaments set to begin

 

 

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (18 July, 2025) - With today’s weigh-ins in the books, the fighters are ready to make history tomorrow night in Cape Town, as the inaugural season of PFL Africa kicks off and PFL Champions Series Road to Dubai: Cape Town takes place.

In the main event of the PFL Champions Series Road to Dubai: Cape Town card, the PFL Middleweight World Championship is up for grabs, as defending champion Johnny “Pressure” Eblen (16-0) of the United States faces challenger Spain’s Costello “The Spaniard” Van Steenis (16-3). Eblen weighed in at 185.0 pounds, while Van Steenis weighed in at 184.6 pounds.

In the co-headlining bout of the night, undefeated “Dangerous” Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) of the United Kingdom takes on Sumiko “Lady Samurai” Inaba (8-1) of Hawaii in a Showcase Women’s Flyweight bout. Ditcheva weighed in at 125.4 pounds, while Inaba weighed in at 124.6 pounds.

Also on the card, former Bellator Featherweight Champion AJ “Mercenary” McKee (22-2) of the United States weighed in at 146.0 pounds, while Russia’s Akhmed Magomedov (11-1, 1NC) weighed in at 145.4 pounds for their Showcase Featherweight Bout.

Plus, the First Round action of the PFL Africa tournaments begin, as the best Bantamweights and Heavyweights in Africa look to move closer to championship gold.

See the complete weigh-in results below:

 

PFL Champions Series Road to Dubai: Cape Town Card:
Grand Arena at GrandWest, Cape Town, South Africa
SuperSport (Africa - English) | Canal+ (Africa - French)
ESPN + (U.S.) | DAZN (France, UK & Ireland)
Saturday, 19 July

PFL Middleweight World Championship Main Event: Johnny Eblen (185 lbs.) vs. Costello van Steenis (184.6 lbs.)
Showcase Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event: Dakota Ditcheva (125.4 lbs.) vs. Sumiko Inaba (124.6 lbs.)
Showcase Featherweight Bout: AJ McKee (146 lbs.) vs. Akhmed Magomedov (145.4 lbs.)
Showcase Lightweight Bout: Artur Zaynukov (155.6 lbs.) vs. Takeshi Izumi (155.2 lbs.)
Showcase Heavyweight Bout: Corey Anderson (239.2 lbs.) vs. Denis Goltsov (240.8 lbs.)

2025 PFL Africa Cape Town First Round Card:
Grand Arena at GrandWest, Cape Town, South Africa
SuperSport (Africa - English) | Canal+ (Africa - French)
PFL App (U.S.) | DAZN (France, UK & Ireland)
Saturday, 19 July

 Bantamweight First Round Bout: Nkosi Ndebele (135.6 lbs.) vs. Mahmoud Atef (134.4 lbs.)
 Heavyweight First Round Bout: Maxwell Djantou Nana (264.2 lbs.) vs. Mickael Groguhe (265.2 lbs.)
 Bantamweight First Round Bout: Shannon van Tonder (136.2 lbs.)* vs. Boule Godogo (135.6 lbs.)
*Van Tonder missed weight and will forfeit 20% of his fight purse to Godogo
 Heavyweight First Round Bout: Jashell Ticha Awa (261 lbs.) vs. Justin Clarke (239.6 lbs.)
 Bantamweight First Round Bout: Asiashu Tshitamba (136 lbs.) vs. Karim Henniene (135.8 lbs.)
 Heavyweight First Round Bout: Abdoulaye Kane (264.2 lbs.) vs. Joffie Houlton (262.0 lbs.)
 Bantamweight First Round Bout: Simbarashe Hokonya (135.8 lbs.) vs. Frans Mlambo (135 lbs.)
 Heavyweight First Round Bout: Abraham Bably (254.6 lbs.) vs. Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze (251.2 lbs.)
Showcase Women’s Strawweight Bout: Juliet Ukah (115.2 lbs.) vs. Ceileigh Niedermayr (115.4 lbs.)


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