PFL Africa: Open Workouts
Three weeks ahead of PFL Africa’s inaugural card, Champions Academy RDC Gym in Kinshasa, Congo set the scene for the event. In anticipation of the milestone event, PFL threw an open workout that filled the gym with screaming fans.
Nigeria’s unbeaten strawweight star Juliet Ukah and South Africa’s surging Ceileigh Niedermayr stole the show, giving everyone a taste of what’s coming when they square off at PFL Africa’s big debut in Cape Town on July 19th. The two fighters did a great job hyping up their historic women’s strawweight fight—the first of its kind for PFL Africa. The gym was packed with fans losing their minds, cheering as Ukah (a policewoman with knockout power) and Niedermayr (an experienced fighter with a granite chin) ran through drills and faced off for the cameras.
Photo | PFL
When asked about the excitement towards the card, Ukah said, “I’m pumped to be part of PFL Africa’s first card. Ceileigh’s tough, but I’m bringing my best. Nigeria vs. South Africa? It’s gonna be wild!”
Niedermayr fired back, “This is huge for me, and I’m ready to show Juliet something she’s never seen before. Let’s make history!”
You could feel the respect between them, but make no mistake—this fight’s gonna be a banger. Kinshasa, a city that lives and breathes combat sports, ate it all up.
This open workout was a sneak peek of something massive.
PFL Africa
PFL Africa: Cape Town
PFL Africa’s first-ever event at the Grand Arena, GrandWest in Cape Town is shaping up to be epic. The card launches the 2025 PFL Africa Tournament, with 18 fighters from 15 African countries competing in the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions. On top of that, the PFL Champions Series is bringing some serious star power.
PFL Champions Series
- Johnny Eblen vs. Costello van Steenis (MW)
- Dakota Ditcheva vs. Sumiko Inaba (WFLW)
- A. J. McKee vs. Akhmed Magomedov (FW)
- Makkasharip Zaynukov vs. Takeshi Izumi (LW)
- Corey Anderson vs. Denis Goltsov (HW)
PFL Africa
- Nkosi Ndebele vs. Mahmoud Atef (BW)
- Maxwell Djantou Nana vs. Mickaël Groguhe (HW)
- Shannon Van Tonder vs. Boule Godogo (BW)
- Jashell Ticha Awa vs. Justin Clarke (HW)
- Antero dos Santos vs. Karim Henniene (BW)
- Abdoullah Kane vs. Mohammad Ben Yahia (HW)
- Alain Majorique vs. Simbarashe Hokonya (BW)
- Badr Medkouri vs. Abraham Bably (HW)
- Juliet Ukah vs. Ceileigh Niedermayr (WSW)
Francis Ngannou | Photo, Jake Noecker
PFL Africa: Why It’s a Big Deal
PFL Africa’s debut isn’t just another fight night—it’s a game-changer. Africa’s been churning out MMA studs like Francis Ngannou, Israel Adesanya, and Kamaru Usman, but big-time MMA events on the continent? Almost unheard of.
PFL’s changing that, giving African fighters a stage to shine without hopping a plane to Vegas or Dubai. With distribution deals across sub-Saharan Africa, fans from all over can tune in and feel the pride.
The Kinshasa workout was proof of the hunger for this. Fans showed up in bunches, embracing the history of a city that hosted legends like Muhammad Ali.
As Niedermayr put it, “Francis Ngannou showed us what’s possible, and now we’re here to keep that fire burning.”
With PFL Africa’s chairman Ngannou leading the charge, this is about building a legacy and giving African fighters a shot at a global stage. Ngannou is all about growing the sport in Africa, and while he’s not fighting on July 19, fans are dreaming of a future card headlined by the Cameroonian knockout king.
Imagine the roar of an African crowd as Ngannou, a global MMA icon, throws down on his home turf. It’s too early to say when or if it’ll happen, but that kind of star power could take PFL Africa to another level.
🔍 Want to know more about each event? Visit homeoffight.com or any of our social media accounts for more articles, fighter interviews, and plenty of more coverage.
💰 Want to get in on the action? Visit homeoffight.com/picks to tail all of the Home of Fight expert’s picks & bets each week!
🥊 Content & coverage brought to you by LEGENDZ! Play online Social Casino & LIVE Sports Gambling!
