SA's Niedermayr and Nigeria's Ukah size each other up at PFL Africa roadshow in DRC

African MMA stars Ceileigh Niedermayr and Juliet Ukah had their first opportunity to size each other up ahead of their showcase Women’s Strawweight bout in Cape Town next month.

South Africa’s Niedermayr and Nigeria’s Ukah will make history as the first ladies to compete in the debut event of the inaugural PFL Africa season, set to take place on July 19th at Grand West Casino and Entertainment World in the Mother City, South Africa.

This week, in Kinshasa, DRC, the Professional Fighters League had an open workout as part of a roadshow in the lead-up to the big show at the foot of Africa.

There, in front of the media and hundreds of excited MMA fans, Ukah and Niedermayr showcased their skills and ran through some training drills before facing off for the first time ahead of their highly anticipated showdown.

Ukah Excited for PFL Africa Debut: Aims to Shine in Fight Against Ceileigh

“I’m very happy to be on the first PFL Africa card, and my fight with Ceileigh is going to be an exciting one. We’re going to be representing the two biggest MMA nations in Africa, and we want to help put African MMA in the global spotlight,” said the unbeaten Ukah, who is on a six-fight winning streak that includes two wins in the Extreme Fighting Championship, the leading African-based MMA promotion.

“Compared to her, I think I’m the more experienced fighter and the better striker, so I’m comfortable wherever the fight goes. I expect to get the finish, but I don’t mind going to a third round if needed,” added Ukah who has gone to decision in five fights.

Niedermayr Prepares for Historic PFL Africa Women’s Fight

Fellow EFC fighter and South Africa’s Niedermayr, who has also previously competed at UAE Warriors and Fury Challenger Series (USA), is revelling in the moment as she looks to shine in one of the biggest MMA brands on the globe.  

“It’s truly an honour to be part of the first-ever PFL Africa women’s fight. This fight camp isn’t just about preparing for my next opponent — it’s a reflection of my lifelong dedication to martial arts. I’m always pushing myself to grow, to evolve, and to become the best fighter I can be,” said Niedermayr who will be hungry to build a good innings after failing to string together a group of wins with 3 losses and two wins. (w,l,w,l,w)

“On fight night, I’m bringing a new level of ‘Smiley Savagery’ to the SmartCage. I have a lot of respect for Juliet as a fighter, and I welcome the chance to test myself against her, but I don’t think she’s ever faced anyone like me. I’m expecting an exciting, high-level battle — and I’m ready for it.”

The inaugural PFL Africa Tournament will feature eight-man brackets in each weight class, starting with the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions next month. 

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.

PFL Africa Tournament: Nkosi Ndebele vs. Mahmoud Atef in Historic Bantamweight Semifinal

Next month’s PFL Africa Tournament event will be headlined by South Africa’s Nkosi Ndebele (8-3), who will face Egypt’s rising contender Mahmoud Atef (5-2) in a thrilling Bantamweight Semifinal. 

The arrival of the PFL will be a major boost for African MMA, as the global Mixed Martial Arts promotion is quickly becoming as popular as the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Grand West Casino and Entertainment World’s Grand Arena will make history as it will become the first venue in Africa to host a major international MMA show.     

The inaugural PFL Africa tournament will also set the scene and precede the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai card, bringing the world’s best MMA talent to Africa. Headlining the Champions Series event will be Johnny Eblen, who aims to remain undefeated and keep his Middleweight title when he faces Spain’s Costello Van Steenis. In the co-main event, Dakota Ditcheva will face Sumiko Inaba in a Flyweight clash. 

In July 2024, the PFL announced its third international league, PFL Africa, after PFL Europe and PFL MENA.

Former UFC Heavyweight and current global combat superstar, Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou, is the acting chairman of the league and will also play a pivotal ambassadorial role in further growing the Professional Fighters League in the Motherland and finding and developing the next generation of African champions.

PFL Africa Launch: Strategic Partnerships and Broad Coverage Across Sub-Saharan Africa

The launch of PFL Africa is also bolstered by strategic distribution partnerships, ensuring broad coverage across sub-Saharan Africa. For those unable to make the live show, you can catch all the fights on SuperSport.

It will also be available on Canal+ as it is the official broadcaster for PFL Africa in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. To further expand accessibility, PFL has introduced a mobile-first platform, distributed in partnership with CFM (Content For Mobile), exclusively via the region’s leading telcos delivering affordable fight content directly to fans across Africa as the brand aims to become one of the most accessible sports leagues on the continent, aiming to reach “over 90% of African households”.

PFL Cape Town begins at 4:30 PM SAST / 10:30 AM EST with the PFL Africa Tournament, followed by the PFL Champions Series, which begins at 8:30 PM SAST / 2:30 PM EST. Tickets for the event are on sale now via Ticketpro at this link here. 

Complete PFL Champions Series Card:

Saturday, July 19 -  8:30 PM SAST / 2:30 PM EST

Middleweight World Championship Main Event: Johnny Eblen (16-0) vs. Costello van Steenis (16-3)

Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event: Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) vs. Sumiko Inaba (8-1)

Featherweight Showcase Bout: AJ McKee (22-2) vs. Akhmed Magomedov (11-1)

Lightweight Showcase Bout: Artur Zaynukov (16-4) vs. Takeshi Izumi (6-3)

Heavyweight Showcase Bout: Corey Anderson (18-6) vs. Denis Goltsov (36-8)

Complete PFL Africa Card:

SuperSport (Africa - English) | Canal+ (Africa - French)

DAZN (France, UK & Ireland) 

Saturday, July 19 - 4:30 PM SAST / 10:30 AM EST

Bantamweight First Round Bout: Nkosi Ndebele (8-3) vs. Mahmoud Atef (5-2)

Heavyweight First Round Bout: Maxwell Djantou Nana (6-1) vs. Mikael Groguhe (6-2)

Bantamweight First Round Bout: Shannon Van Tonder (7-2) vs. Boule Godogo (3-0)

Heavyweight First Round Bout: Jashell Ticha Awa (3-1) vs. Justin Clarke (2-0)

Bantamweight First Round Bout: Antero Dos Santos (5-0) vs. Karim Henniene (4-0)

Heavyweight First Round Bout: Abdoullah Kane (3-0) vs. Mohammed Ben Yahia (9-4)

Bantamweight First Round Bout: Simbarashe Hokonya (5-0) vs. Alain Majorique (5-0)

Heavyweight First Round Bout: Abraham Bably (5-2) vs. Badredinne Medkouri (7-2)

Showcase Women’s Strawweight Bout: Juliet Ukah (6-0) vs. Ceileigh Niedermayr (3-2)

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