Eblen, Ditcheva to headline launch of PFL Africa
Undefeated stars Johnny Eblen and Dakota Ditcheva are scheduled to headline the launch of PFL Africa on July 26 at GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, South Africa.
Middleweight champion Eblen (16-0) will fight Costello van Steenis in the main event, while 2024 PFL women's flyweight champion Ditcheva (14-0) will face Sumiko Inaba in the co-main event. Both bouts are part of five featured matchups in the "PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai."
The mid-summer card also marks the beginning of the PFL's inaugural Africa tournament, which kicks off with first-round bouts in the heavyweight and bantamweight divisions. Each division will feature an eight-man bracket, with the promotion to announce a full schedule and host cities for the semifinals and finals at a later date.
Eblen claimed Bellator's middleweight title after defeating Gegard Mousasi via unanimous decision at Bellator 282 in June 2022. He has since successfully defended the belt four times, including a split-decision win over Impa Kasanganay at the "PFL vs. Bellator Champion of Champions" event in February 2024. Eblen defeated Fabian Edwards in a rematch last October by unanimous decision in his most recent bout.
Van Steenis (16-3) has earned a finish in each of his last two fights, including a first-round KO against Joao Dantas in November 2024.
Ditcheva returns for the first time since winning the PFL women's flyweight tournament with a second-round TKO over Talia Santos in November. The 26-year-old also won the PFL Europe Tournament in 2023 with three consecutive finishes.
Inaba (8-1), a Bellator veteran, is making her PFL debut on a two-fight win streak after bouncing back from a decision loss to Denise Kielholtz in 2023. The 34-year-old secured a TKO win over Mackenzie Stiller in her last appearance in September 2024.
PFL Africa becomes the promotion's third regional league, joining PFL Europe and PFL MENA. Heavyweight star Francis Ngannou, who signed with the PFL two years ago after leaving the UFC, serves as PFL Africa's chairman.