Cameroonian mixed martial arts prospect Emilios Dassi says having his mentor Francis Ngannou in the arena during his semifinal bout of the Professional Fighters League, PFL Africa, will be a great motivation for him.
Absent from the first two inaugural PFL Africa events in South Africa, Ngannou, Chairman of the League, has confirmed his presence at the semifinals to take place at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda on Saturday, October 18.
Africa’s elite fighters in the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, and Bantamweight divisions will be fighting for victories to advance to the final that will see PFL crown the first-ever Africa champions in Benin later this year.
A product of the Francis Ngannou Foundation, Dassi, who carries frightening knockout power reminiscent of his mentor and global Heavyweight champion Ngannou, will square off with Guinea-Bissau’s Yabna N’tchala in a Welterweight bout at the semis.
“Having him [Francis Ngannou] watching brings me joy and gives me confidence. So, I cannot afford to make mistakes,” Dassi, who goes by the name ‘Son of the Predator’, told media in Kigali on Wednesday.
Dassi is among a quintet of Cameroonian MMA stars on the 11-fight card of the semifinals, including Maxwell Djantou Nana, Octave Ayinda, Alain Majorique and Emmanuel Mukam – another product of the Francis Ngannou Foundation.
In a recent video message, Ngannou confirmed his presence at PFL Africa semifinals, calling on other MMA lovers on the continent to join them at the BK Arena in Kigali, “where Africa’s MMA takes center stage,” on Saturday, October 18. “Come witness greatness, watch our warriors rise, and be part of history”, the PFL Africa Chairman appealed.
Winners of the semifinal bouts will advance to the league finals in Benin where the first-ever PFL Africa Champions across the four divisions will be crowned in December – opening even bigger doors for them to compete on the global stage with PFL’s goal to create the “Champions League of MMA”.
