Women mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters will be in the spotlight when the Professional Fighters League (PFL) kicks off Season Two of its African tournament, PFL Africa, with an action-packed fight night next month.
Building on a successful debut season that saw the crowning of four pioneer PFL Africa Tournament Champions across the heavyweight, welterweight, featherweight and bantamweight divisions, the 2026 campaign will kick off on Friday, April 10, live from the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.
The card will feature two Women’s Strawweight Showcase bouts, highlighting the promotion’s continued push to expand opportunities for female mixed martial artists across the African continent.
Ukah faces Osigwe in all-Nigerian showdown
In one of the two women’s fights on the card, undefeated Nigerian Juliet Ukah will square off against fellow compatriot Jane Osigwe in a bout that promises to set the stage on fire.
With a flawless 8–0 record, Juliet “The Golden Bones” Ukah comes to the fight fresh from a first-round TKO against Egypt’s Maryam Gaber at the inaugural PFL Africa Finals in Cotonou, Benin, last December.
With the ability to finish her fights early, Ukah usually enters the cage with a flexible game plan, depending on her opponent’s approach. Since making her professional debut in 2022, she has outmatched some of Africa’s toughest women inside the cage, including Mischka Laubscher, Mary Jane Buna, Crystal Van Wyk and Ceileigh Niedermayr.
Standing in Ukah’s way this time, however, is her fellow Nigerian Jane “The Slayer” Osigwe, who is known for bringing Nigerian rhythms to the cage with her celebratory dances.
Osigwe, who will be making her PFL Africa debut, has etched her name as one of the best in continental promotions such as Kamaru Usman’s African Knockout (AKO) Championship, where she has been a dominant force in the bantamweight division.
She enters the PFL SmartCage looking to end Ukah’s undefeated run, galvanized by a unanimous decision win over Morocco’s Sanaa Mandar at AKO 10 in Abuja last August.
Mugo, Kiiza renew East African rivalry
The opening fight on PFL Africa’s first card for 2026 will see Kenya’s Felista “The Young Queen” Mugo face Uganda’s Annet “Rose” Kiiza in a Women’s Strawweight Showcase bout that will mark a pivotal moment for African MMA, as two regional standouts carry their flags onto one of the sport’s most visible platforms.
Described as Kenya’s first female professional MMA fighter, Mugo has quickly become one of the country’s most prominent mixed martial artists, competing primarily at flyweight and building a reputation for fast starts and finishes.
She has earned multiple first-round stoppages against opponents across the continent, including wins under the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) and Warrior Sports Championship, as she developed her game against opposition from Nigeria and South Africa.
Mugo comes into the fight determined to seek redemption from a frustrating majority draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Sephora Kiala during her last outing at Impact Championship 5 in Lusaka, Zambia, last July.
Standing across from Mugo is her Ugandan neighbor, Kiiza, a finishing specialist who has never gone past the second round in her budding professional career. The Ugandan prospect secured a second-round TKO win over Kenya’s Rael Ashubwe during her last fight at ANZA MMA Fight Nights 5 in Nairobi last December, showing her ability to close the show once she builds momentum.
The Kenya–Uganda angle adds another layer to the matchup, revisiting a growing regional rivalry. Whether Mugo will avenge the loss suffered by her compatriot at the hands of Kiiza, or whether the Kampala powerhouse will maintain her dominance over Kenyan opponents as they enter the PFL SmartCage for the first time, remains to be seen.
Ndebele headlines stacked Pretoria fight card
PFL launched the African league last year with the aim of nurturing homegrown talent and opening even bigger doors for African fighters to compete on the global stage, in line with PFL’s goal of creating the “Champions League of MMA.” The promotion included women’s fights on two of its inaugural four cards in Africa last year.
According to PFL Africa, this year’s tournament will showcase rising African prospects alongside proven contenders from more than 10 nations across the continent.
Inaugural PFL Africa Bantamweight Champion Nkosi “The King” Ndebele will return to the PFL SmartCage as the headliner of the Pretoria event, taking on Italy’s Michele “The Arrow” Clemente, an Oktagon MMA standout currently riding a five-fight win streak as he makes his PFL Africa debut.
The co-main event will see South Africa’s Justin Clarke square off against Senegal’s Abdoulaye Kane in a high-powered clash of heavyweights. A standout fighter in the “Big Boys” division of PFL Africa last year, Clarke will be seeking redemption after his PFL Africa heavyweight final loss to Ivorian devastating finisher Abraham Bably in Cotonou, Benin, last December, while Kane will be aiming not only to win but also to secure his third consecutive knockout victory.
The matchup promises explosive action as both heavyweights look to position themselves as key contenders in PFL Africa.
