Full Fight Highlights from PFL Africa 1: Cape Town!
Relive the most electrifying moments from PFL Africa 1 — the organization’s first-ever event on African soil. Hosted at the Grand Arena in Cape Town, this Champions Series card delivered on every front: upsets, domination, and elite-level MMA.
In the main event, Costello van Steenis stunned the world by submitting undefeated middleweight king Johnny Eblen in the final seconds of their title fight. With that rear-naked choke, van Steenis etched his name into PFL history and secured his place in the promotion’s elite. Full fight: Eblen vs van Steenis.
Earlier on the card, flyweight wrecking ball Dakota Ditcheva continued her unbeaten tear with a dominant performance over Sumiko Inaba. She’s now one step closer to a tournament title. See: Inaba vs Ditcheva.
Featherweight standout AJ McKee also made his mark, grinding out a hard-fought win over Akhmed Magomedov in a grueling scrap. Check the war: McKee vs Magomedov.
Elsewhere, Makkasharip Zaynukov dominated Takeshi Izumi, showing off his wrestling pedigree and violent top control in Zaynukov vs Izumi.
And in heavyweight action, Corey Anderson put away former PFL finalist Denis Goltsov with crushing ground-and-pound, sending a message to the entire division. Watch: Anderson vs Goltsov.
This was a massive milestone for PFL's international expansion. With the 2025 PFL Finals approaching, every fight matters — and Cape Town proved that Africa’s arrival on the PFL map isn’t just symbolic, it’s dangerous.
Don’t blink. This is the road to Dubai, and it’s only getting wilder.