The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced that its first-ever event in Africa, scheduled for July 26 in Cape Town, will feature a Champions Series portion topped by unbeaten standouts Johnny Eblen and Dakota Ditcheva.
Former Bellator champion Eblen (16-0), who holds a perfect professional record, is slated to defend his middleweight (185-pound) title against Costello van Steenis. Meanwhile, Dakota Ditcheva, winner of the 2023 PFL Europe tournament, will compete against Sumiko Inaba in a non-title contest as part of the Champions Series.
The PFL Africa section of the event will also mark the commencement of the continental eight-man tournaments in the heavyweight and bantamweight divisions.
Eblen`s most recent title defense was a unanimous decision victory in a rematch against Fabian Edwards. His opponent, Van Steenis (16-3), is coming off submission finishes against Gregory Babene in Bellator and Joao Vitor Dantas in the PFL.
Ditcheva (14-0) had an impressive run in 2023, securing the PFL Europe tournament title with three finishes. She carried that momentum into 2024 with three dominant first-round stoppages, including a decisive win over UFC veteran Taila Santos.
Sumiko Inaba (8-1) competed her entire prior career under the Bellator banner before transitioning to the PFL following the merger. In her last outing in September 2024, she secured a finish against Mackenzie Stiller.
Murray Blackwood