Wikipedia

PFL Champions Series 2

PFL Champions Series Cape Town: Eblen vs. van Steenis and PFL Africa 1: 2025 First Round was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Professional Fighters League that took place on July 19, 2025, at GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, South Africa.[1][2][3][4]

PFL Champions Series 2: Eblen vs. van Steenis
The poster for PFL Champions Series 2: Eblen vs. van Steenis
PromotionProfessional Fighters League
DateJuly 19, 2025 (2025-07-19)
VenueGrandWest Arena
CityCape Town, South Africa
Event chronology
PFL Europe 2 PFL Champions Series 2: Eblen vs. van Steenis PFL 8

Background

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The event marked the promotion's debut in South Africa, which became the 14th country to held a PFL and WSOF event. This also the first event to held in Africa region.[5] On May 20, the promotion announced that they've changed the date for their from July 26 to July 19 instead.[6]

A PFL Middleweight World Championship bout between current champion Johnny Eblen and Costello van Steenis headlined the event.[7]

The event also featured the quarterfinals of 2025 PFL Africa Tournament in a heavyweight and bantamweight divisions.[8]

At the weigh-ins, Shannon van Tonder weighed in at 136.2 pounds, 0.2 pounds over the bantamweight limit and he was fined a percentage of his purse, which went to Boule Godogo.[9]

Results

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PFL Champions Series 2 (DAZN / ESPN+)
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Middleweight Costello van Steenis def. Johnny Eblen Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) 5 4:51 [a]
Women's Flyweight Dakota Ditcheva def. Sumiko Inaba Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Featherweight A. J. McKee def. Akhmed Magomedov Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Lightweight Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Takeshi Izumi Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Heavyweight Corey Anderson def. Denis Goltsov TKO (elbows) 2 3:28
2025 PFL Africa 1 (DAZN / PFL App)
Bantamweight Nkosi Ndebele def. Mahmoud Atef TKO (punches) 1 4:50 [b]
Heavyweight Maxwell Djantou Nana def. Mickaël Groguhe Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00 [c]
Bantamweight Boule Godogo def. Shannon van Tonder Decision (split) (30–26, 28–29, 29–27) 3 5:00 [d]
Heavyweight Justin Clarke def. Jashell Ticha Awa TKO (retirement) 1 5:00 [e]
Bantamweight Karim Henniene def. Asiashu Tshitamba Decision (split) (30–27, 28–29, 29–28) 3 5:00 [f]
Heavyweight Joffie Houlton def. Abdoullah Kane DQ (illegal knee) 1 0:40 [g]
Bantamweight Simbarashe Hokonya def. Frans Mlambo Decision (unanimous) (30–26, 30–26, 30–25) 3 5:00 [h]
Heavyweight Abraham Bably def. Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze KO (punch) 1 4:59 [i]
Women's Strawweight Juliet Ukah def. Ceileigh Niedermayr Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
  1. ↑ For the inaugural PFL Middleweight World Championship.
  2. ↑ 2025 PFL Africa Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
  3. ↑ 2025 PFL Africa Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
  4. ↑ 2025 PFL Africa Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal; van Tonder missed weight (136.2 lb).
  5. ↑ 2025 PFL Africa Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
  6. ↑ 2025 PFL Africa Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
  7. ↑ 2025 PFL Africa Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
  8. ↑ 2025 PFL Africa Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal. Mlambo was deducted one point in round 2 due to illegal elbows to back of head.
  9. ↑ 2025 PFL Africa Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal.

[10][11]

Tournament brackets

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2025 PFL Africa Heavyweight Tournament

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Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
 
 
 
Ivory Coast Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze[a] 1
 
 
 
 Ivory Coast Abraham Bably KO
 
 Ivory Coast Abraham Bably
 
 
 
 Nigeria Joffie Houlton
 
Nigeria Joffie Houlton[b] DQ
 
 
 
 Senegal Abdoullah Kane 1
 
 
 
 
 
 South Africa Justin Clarke TKO
 
 
 
 Cameroon Jashell Ticha Awa 1
 
 South Africa Justin Clarke
 
 
 
 Cameroon Maxwell Djantou Nana
 
 Cameroon Maxwell Djantou Nana UD
 
 
 Ivory Coast Mickaël Groguhe 3
 
  1. ↑ Badr Medkouri withdrew from the tournament and was replaced by Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze.
  2. ↑ Mohammad Ben Yahia withdrew from the tournament due to an injury and was replaced by Joffie Houlton.

2025 PFL Africa Bantamweight Tournament

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Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
 
 
 
 South Africa Nkosi Ndebele TKO
 
 
 
 Egypt Mahmoud Atef 1
 
 South Africa Nkosi Ndebele
 
 
 
 Zimbabwe Simbarashe Hokonya
 
 South Africa Frans Mlambo[a] 3
 
 
 
 Zimbabwe Simbarashe Hokonya UD
 
 
 
 
 
South Africa Shannon van Tonder 3
 
 
 
 Democratic Republic of the Congo Boule Godogo SD
 
 Democratic Republic of the Congo Boule Godogo
 
 
 
 Algeria Karim Henniene
 
 South Africa Asiashu Tshitamba[b] 3
 
 
 Algeria Karim Henniene SD
 
  1. ↑ Alain Majorique withdrew from the tournament and was replaced by Frans Mlambo.
  2. ↑ Antero dos Santos withdrew from the tournament and was replaced by Asiashu Tshitamba.

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Professional Fighters League Launches PFL Africa With Historic Mega Event In Cape Town". Professional Fighters League. 2025-05-07. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  2. ↑ Cruz, Guilherme (2025-05-07). "Johnny Eblen, Dakota Ditcheva return at PFL Cape Town". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  3. ↑ Law, Eddie (2025-05-07). "PFL Africa Set For July 26 Date In Cape Town Featuring Ditcheva, Eblen". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  4. ↑ Holland, Jesse (2025-05-07). "PFL Africa debut announced for July 26 in Cape Town, featuring return of Dakota Ditcheva". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  5. ↑ "PFL confirms PFL Africa launch with Cape town event". Sportcal.com. 2025-05-07. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  6. ↑ Law, Eddie (2025-05-20). "PFL Africa 1 Event In Cape Town Rescheduled For July 19". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  7. ↑ "Johnny Eblen, Dakota Ditcheva to compete in inaugural PFL Africa event in July". MMA Junkie. 2025-05-07. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  8. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Professional Fighters League Announces PFL Africa Launch; Debut Set for July 26". Sherdog. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  9. ↑ Treese, Tyler. "2025 PFL Africa 1 Weigh-in Results: Title Fight Set; 1 Fighter Heavy". Sherdog. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  10. ↑ "PFL Champions Series 2: Eblen vs. van Steenis". Professional Fighters League. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
  11. ↑ "2025 PFL Africa 1: First Round". Professional Fighters League. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
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