The Professional Fighters League is set to make its debut trip to Africa on July 26 with an event in Cape Town. This historic card will feature a Champions Series portion headlined by the undefeated talents Johnny Eblen and Dakota Ditcheva.
Johnny Eblen, the reigning middleweight champion holding a perfect 16-0 record, is scheduled to defend his 185-pound title against Costello van Steenis. Also on the main portion of the card, undefeated flyweight star Dakota Ditcheva, known for her dominant performances, will face Sumiko Inaba in a non-title bout.
In addition to the Champions Series, the PFL Africa section of the event will officially launch the continental eight-man heavyweight and bantamweight tournaments.
Eblen`s last title defense resulted in a unanimous decision victory over Fabian Edwards. His opponent, van Steenis (16-3), enters the cage on the heels of impressive finishing victories over Gregory Babene and Joao Vitor Dantas in his recent Bellator and PFL outings.
Ditcheva (14-0) built significant momentum by winning the 2023 PFL Europe tournament with three finishes that year. She continued her dominant run into 2024, securing three first-round stoppages, including a championship-level performance against UFC veteran Taila Santos.
Sumiko Inaba (8-1) spent her entire prior professional career competing under the Bellator banner before transitioning to the PFL following the merger. Her most recent appearance saw her secure a finish over Mackenzie Stiller.