Undefeated mixed martial artist and Nigeria Police Force officer Juliet Ukah will represent Nigeria at the inaugural Professional Fighters League Africa event scheduled for July 19 in Cape Town, South Africa, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Ukah, who boasts a perfect 6-0 record, will feature in a special Women’s Strawweight Showcase Bout at the landmark event, though her opponent is yet to be announced by the organisers.
The historic PFL Africa debut will be the first event hosted on the continent by a global MMA organisation, with tickets now on sale.
The event, which was initially scheduled for a week later, will take place at the GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, showcasing Africa’s top fighting talent across Bantamweight and Heavyweight divisions with 18 elite African athletes set to compete in high-stakes bouts inside the PFL SmartCage.
Headlining the night, South Africa’s own Nkosi Ndebele (8-3) will face Egypt’s rising contender Mahmoud Atef (5-2) in a thrilling Bantamweight semifinal bout. In the co-main event, Cameroon’s Maxwell Djantou Nana (6-1) takes on Ivory Coast’s Mikael Groguhe (6-2) in a battle of heavy-handed finishers.
The inaugural PFL Africa Tournament will feature eight-man brackets in each weight class, starting with the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions. The full tournament schedule and host cities for the semifinals and finals will be announced shortly.
In total, 32 fighters representing 15 African nations will compete across the four PFL Africa divisions in 2025, as the league embarks on a continent-wide journey to crown the first-ever PFL Africa Champions.
The Nigerian policewoman’s participation underscores the growing presence of African fighters in global MMA competitions, with Ukah being one of the continent’s most promising female prospects.
The inaugural PFL Africa will also set the scene and precede a PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai card, bringing the world’s best MMA talent to Africa. At the top of the bill will be Johnny ‘Pressure’ Eblen (16-0), who will look to keep his undefeated record intact and his World Championship by his side as he faces Spain’s surging Costello ‘The Spaniard’ van Steenis (16-3).
In the co-main event, Dakota ‘Dangerous’ Ditcheva (14-0), widely regarded as the best women’s pound-for-pound MMA fighter, will face off against the elite Hawaiian, Sumiko ‘Lady Samurai’ Inaba (8-1) in the penultimate bout of the evening.
This milestone event marks a significant step in the development of MMA across the African continent, with PFL providing a platform for African fighters to showcase their talents on an international stage.
