PFL Africa 2025 Finals fight card confirmed: Africa’s best set to make history
In the Heavyweight Finals, Ivory Coasts Abraham Bably (7-2, picutred) will take on undefeated South African Justin Clarke (4-0) for the PFL Africa Heavyweight Title.
Image: PFL Africa
The fight card for the PFL Africa 2025 Finals is officially set, as the continent’s finest mixed martial artists prepare to collide in a historic event next month.
On December 20, PFL Africa will deliver an 11-fight card featuring four championship finals, six showcase bouts, and one alternate matchup at the Sofitel Dome in Cotonou, Benin.
Following the successful launch of its African franchise earlier this year, the Professional Fighters League (PFL) – one of the fastest-growing MMA organizations in the world – hosted three blockbuster events across Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Kigali, Rwanda. From those shows, standout athletes battled their way to the top, earning a place in the Finals – and a shot at becoming Africa’s first-ever PFL Champions, taking home $100,000 and the opportunity to compete in the league’s global season.
The Finals will be broadcast across Africa on Canal+, SuperSport, SportyTV, StarzPlay, StreamPFLAfrica.com, and ten additional networks across the continent. For the first time, U.S. fans can also tune in live on VICE TV and the PFL App.
Four PFL Africa Champions will be crowned in the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, and Bantamweight divisions. Each division winner will claim $100,000 – one of the largest purses for professional athletes in Africa – along with the title of inaugural PFL Africa Tournament Champion.
Headlining the event is a bantamweight showdown between South Africa’s Nkosi “King of Many Nations” Ndebele (10-3) and undefeated Algerian Karim “The Kryptonian” Henniene (6-0), with tournament gold on the line.
In the co-main event, Angola’s Shido Boris Esperança (11-1) – boasting an 82% finish rate – faces Yabna N’Tchala (13-2-1) of Guinea-Bissau, a striking specialist, in the PFL Africa Welterweight Finals.
Before that, local hero Jean Do Santos (9-1) of Benin makes his PFL debut after capturing the AKO Lightweight Title with a spectacular 8-second flying knee knockout. He’ll take on Nigeria’s Cornel Thompson (10-3) in a highly anticipated Lightweight Showcase Bout between regional rivals.
In the Heavyweight Finals, undefeated South African Justin Clarke (4-0) — who has finished all of his fights — collides with Abraham Bably (7-2) of Ivory Coast, who boasts five finishes in seven victories. Meanwhile, in the Featherweight Finals, unbeaten Cameroonian Alain Majorique (6-0) meets Nigeria’s Wasi Adeshina (9-3), who enters on a five-fight win streak.
Women’s MMA will also take center stage, featuring two Strawweight Showcase Bouts. Opening the night, Zambia’s Shelda Chipito (0-0) – the 2025 IMMAF African Champion and Worlds Silver Medalist – makes her professional debut after a decorated 9-4 amateur career, facing Nigeria’s Miracle Andrew (1-1).
Also on the card, undefeated Nigerian standout Juliet Ukah (7-0) squares off against Egypt’s Maryam Gaber (3-0), a former boxer who transitioned to MMA after posting a 5-1-1 boxing record.
In total, the PFL Africa 2025 Finals features 11 bouts representing 12 nations, with four championship titles on the line – marking a landmark moment for the sport across the continent.
Fight card for PFL Africa
Image: PFL Africa
FIGHT CARD
PFL Africa Bantamweight Finals: Nkosi Ndebele (10-3) v. Karim Henniene (6-0)
PFL Africa Welterweight Finals: Shido Boris Esperança (11-1) v. Yabna N’Tchala (13-2-1)
Lightweight Showcase Bout: Jean Do Santos (9-1) v. Cornel Thompson (10-3)
PFL Africa Heavyweight Finals: Justin Clarke (4-0) v. Abraham Bably (7-2)
PFL Africa Featherweight Finals: Alain Majorique (6-0) v. Wasi Adeshina (9-3)
Women’s Strawweight Showcase Bout: Juliet Ukah (7-0) v. Maryam Gaber (3-0)
Light Heavyweight Showcase Bout: Styve Ngono (6-1) v. Mélèdje Yedoh (1-0)
Heavyweight Showcase Bout: Abdoulaye Kane (4-1) v. Jashell Ticha Awa (3-2)
Welterweight Showcase Bout: Mouhamed Ba (3-1) v. British Boloyoang (3-2)
Bantamweight Alternate Bout: Boule Godogo (4-1) v. Thimna Mhlauli (5-0)
Women’s Strawweight Showcase Bout: Shelda Chipito (0-0) v. Miracle Andrew (1-1)
IOL Sport