Mixed Marial Arts global powerhouse, the Professional Fighters League (PFL) successfully concluded its inaugural PFL Africa season on Saturday, December 20, 2025 in Benin Republic. Four pioneer PFL Africa Tournament Champions across the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, and Bantamweight divisions were crowned during the finals held at the iconic Sofitel Dome in the West African country’s largest city, Cotonou.
It showcased the depth of the African talent pool with champions hailing from South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Cote d’Ivoire, and Nigeria.
Cote d’Ivoire’s Abraham Bably provided the knockout of the night, needing only 21 seconds to dismantle South Africa’s Justin Clarke and claim the inaugural Heavyweight Championship title.
In the Featherweight division, Nigeria’s Wasi Adeshina proved his resilience. After a rocky first round against Cameroon’s Alain Majorique, Adeshina’s precise striking opened a significant cut over Majorique’s left eye, obliging the cageside physician to stop the fight in the second round, crowning Adeshina the first-ever PFL Africa Featherweight Champion.
South Africa’s Nkosi Ndebele grasped the inaugural PFL Africa Bantamweight Championship crown with a brutal second-round body kick knockout of Angola’s Boule Godogo.
Guinea Bissau’s Yabna N’Tchala came back from being dominated on the mats in the first two rounds to unleash a ferocious striking clinic in the third, with the onslaught leaving his opponent, Angola’s Shido Boris Esperança unable to answer the bell for the fourth round, handing N’Tchala the Welterweight title via TKO.
Besides the prestigious PFL Africa Championship belts, each division winner also received a massive $100K (approximately FCFA 60 million) cash prize, representing one of the highest payouts for professional athletes in Africa.
Showcase of rising stars
Besides the four tournament fights were seven showcase bouts featuring rising stars from across Africa – including two Women’s Strawweight bouts, highlighting the growth of MMA among women on the continent.
In the Women’s Strawweight, Nigeria’s Juliet Ukah continued her winning streak, earning a TKO victory over Egypt’s Maryam Gaber in the first round while Shelda Chipito from Zambia (nicknamed The Miracle) earned a decision win over Nigeria’s Miracle Andrew in what was known as the ‘Battle of the Miracles’, which opened that tournament.
Senegal’s Mouhamed Ba needed just three minutes and 18 seconds to send off Cameroon’s Desmond Tamungang in one of two Welterweight Showcase Bouts of the night; same time DR Congo’s Eliezer Kubanza needed to finish Cote d’Ivoire’s Francis Mozou in another.
In his debut for PFL Africa, Cameroon’s prospect Styve Ngono dominated Ivorian Mélèdje Yedoh from the first to the third round, earning a unanimous decision in their Light Heavyweight Showcase Bout while Abdoulaye Kane from Senegal didn’t need the judges in his Heavyweight Showcase Bout against Cameroon’s Jashell Ticha Awa who he defeated via TKO in the second round.
Nigeria’s Cornel Thompson put up a tactical masterclass that earned him a unanimous decision win over son of the soil Jean Do Santos, in a highly awaited Lightweight Showcase Bout of the night – a victory some Beninese said spoiled their planned party that night.
