The Professional Fighters League (PFL) made its Pretoria debut at SunBet Arena on Friday night, where a packed South African crowd was treated to a full night of MMA action and statement performances across the card.
In the bantamweight main event, Pretoria was treated to Nkosi Ndebele v Michele Clemente, who traded sharp punches and elbows early. The Italian “Arrow” pushed with relentless pressure but frequently ran into sharp counters from the “King of Many Nations.” The two threw down in an all-time classic with the South African walking away with the unanimous decision win.
The heavyweight division delivered a wild one as Senegal’s Abdoulaye Kane and South Africa’s Justin Clarke went toe-to-toe in a firefight. Kane struck first with a huge early combination that left Clarke bloodied and on shaky legs, but the hometown hero refused to back down. Clarke bit down, swung back in the pocket, and turned the tide with a furious counter right hand that sent Kane crashing to the canvas.
SAMUEL OPENS CAMPAIGN IN STYLE
Nigeria’s David Samuel opened his welterweight tournament campaign in style, submitting Abdelrahman Mohammad in the first round after dropping him several times with sharp boxing. Once the fight hit the mat, Samuel locked in the finish and moved on with minimal damage.
In another welterweight tournament clash, Guinea-Bissau’s late replacement Rivaldo Pereira made the most of his opportunity, stepping in on just a day’s notice and stopping Kunle Lawal in the opening frame.
Pereira folded Lawal with a body shot, then closed the show with elbows on the canvas to punch his ticket to the next stage. With those performances, Samuel and Pereira are now set to meet in the semifinals, matching two of the tournament’s most dangerous finishers against each other.
Angola’s Shido Boris Esperança made short work of Emilios Dassi, turning in a near-flawless showing to punch his ticket to the next round of the welterweight tournament. After tripping Dassi to the canvas, Esperança quickly settled into top position and unloaded with elbows and punches until the referee stepped in for a first-round stoppage.
NGUPHANE AND N’TCHALA SET FOR REMATCH
In another welterweight tournament bout, Yabna “The Panther” N’Tchala started strong against Peace Nguphane, cracking him with heavy shots early. Nguphane steadied himself, dragged the fight into his realm with takedowns and firm top control, and hammered away with ground-and-pound that swung momentum his way and earned a unanimous decision to the delight of the South African crowd.
With those results, Esperança and Nguphane are now set to meet later this year in the semifinals, where they will battle for a place in the tournament final.
In an all-Nigerian showdown, Juliet Ukah and Jane Osigwe went toe-to-toe in a feature catchweight bout, trading kicks and punches from the opening bell. Ukah, a Police Corporal known as “Golden Bones,” held the centre of the cage and dictated the engagements, clipping Osigwe with steady counters as the rounds wore on.
Her measured pressure and cleaner shots convinced two of the three judges, earning Ukah a split decision win.
PFL NEXT STOP NIGERIA
Announced just on Friday, PFL Africa is officially landing in West Africa, with the league set to stage its second PFL Africa event on 13 June for the first time in Nigeria at the Eko Arena in Lagos.
Headlining the card will be Nigerian rising star and reigning 2025 PFL Africa Featherweight Champion, Wasi Adeshina, who returns home to compete in front of a Lagos crowd for the first time under the PFL banner, as he takes on Spanish standout, Ignacio Campos.
The night will also feature a lightweight co-main event showcasing another Nigerian standout, Patrick Ocheme, as he faces Cameroonian contender Octave Ayinda in a lightweight bout.
RESULTS:
Nkosi Ndebele (12-3) defeated Michele Clemente (7-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Justin Clarke (5-1) defeated Abdoulaye Kane (5-2) via TKO (punches) in round 1 at 2:12
Peace Nguphane (9-3) defeated Yabna N’Tchala (14-3-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Shido Boris Esperança (12-2) defeated Emilios Dassi (5-3) via TKO (elbows and punches) in round one at 3:17
Rivaldo Pereira (4-2) defeated Kunle Lawal (3-2) via TKO (punch to body and elbows) in round one at 2:09
Juliet Ukah (9-0) defeated Jane Osigwe (5-4) via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)
David Samuel (6-0) defeated Abdelrahman Mohammad (5-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:03 of round one
Abdoul Razac Sankara (7-5) v Áureo Cruz (3-0) ends in a No Contest (accidental eye poke) at 0:18 into round 2
Shadrack Dju Yemba (6-1) defeated Jean-Jacques Lubaya (9-3) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Asiashu Tshitamba (7-5) defeated Shannon van Tonder (7-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Felista-Mutheu Mugo (6-2-1) defeated Annet Kiiza (3-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)