PRETORIA, South Africa — Professional Fighters League officially brought its fast-growing African expansion to South Africa on April 10, as PFL Africa: Pretoria delivered a thrilling night of mixed martial arts inside SunBet Arena.
In front of a packed crowd, hometown fighters delivered statement performances throughout the card, highlighted by a thrilling bantamweight main event victory for South Africa’s Nkosi Ndebele.
The event also featured several opening-round bouts in the PFL Africa welterweight tournament, producing dramatic finishes and setting up two explosive semifinal matchups later this year.
Nkosi Ndebele Outduels Michele Clemente in Main Event
Pretoria’s own Nkosi Ndebele, known as the “King of Many Nations,” defended home turf in a gritty bantamweight showdown against Italy’s Michele Clemente.
Both fighters wasted no time engaging in sharp exchanges, mixing punches and elbows early. Clemente, nicknamed “Arrow,” applied relentless forward pressure, but Ndebele repeatedly countered with crisp strikes that slowed the Italian’s advance.
The bout turned into a crowd-pleasing back-and-forth battle, with both men trading combinations across three competitive rounds.
When the scorecards were read, Ndebele secured a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), sending the South African crowd into celebration.
Justin Clarke Stops Abdoulaye Kane in Heavyweight Firefight
The heavyweight clash between Justin Clarke and Senegal’s Abdoulaye Kane produced one of the most dramatic moments of the night.
Kane struck first with a powerful early combination that left Clarke bloodied and on unsteady legs.
But the South African heavyweight refused to fold.
Clarke fired back inside the pocket and landed a crushing counter right hand that sent Kane crashing to the canvas. Moments later, the referee waved off the fight as Clarke earned a first-round TKO at 2:12, igniting the Pretoria crowd.
Welterweight Tournament Produces Multiple First-Round Finishes
Several fighters made statements in the opening round of the PFL Africa welterweight tournament, setting the stage for exciting semifinal matchups.
Nigeria’s David Samuel launched his campaign in dominant fashion against Abdelrahman Mohammad. Samuel dropped his opponent multiple times with sharp boxing before finishing the fight with a rear-naked choke submission in Round 1.
In another bracket fight, Guinea-Bissau’s Rivaldo Pereira stepped in on just one day’s notice and capitalized on the opportunity. Pereira dropped Kunle Lawal with a body shot before sealing a first-round TKO with elbows on the ground.
With those victories, Samuel and Pereira are now scheduled to meet in the welterweight semifinals.
Meanwhile, Angola’s Shido Boris Esperança also advanced with a dominant stoppage. After tripping Emilios Dassi to the canvas, Esperança unleashed a barrage of elbows and punches that forced a first-round TKO.
South Africa’s Peace Nguphane earned the final semifinal spot, rallying to defeat Yabna N’Tchala. After weathering early strikes, Nguphane relied on takedowns and heavy ground-and-pound to secure a unanimous decision victory.
Nguphane will now face Esperança in the tournament semifinals.
Juliet Ukah Remains Undefeated
In an all-Nigerian catchweight bout, undefeated fighter Juliet Ukah improved her record to 9-0 with a hard-fought split decision win over Jane Osigwe.
Known as “Golden Bones,” Ukah controlled much of the fight by holding the center of the cage and landing cleaner counter shots as the bout progressed.
Two judges scored the fight in her favor, extending her unbeaten streak.
PFL Africa Announces Historic Event in Nigeria
During the broadcast, the Professional Fighters League confirmed that PFL Africa will head to West Africa for the first time.
The promotion will stage its next event on June 13 in Lagos, Nigeria, inside Eko Arena.
The card will be headlined by Nigerian rising star and reigning 2025 PFL Africa Featherweight Champion Wasi Adeshina, who will face Spain’s Ignacio Campos.
The co-main event will feature Nigeria’s Patrick Ocheme taking on Cameroon’s Octave Ayinda in a lightweight matchup.
Main Card
- Nkosi Ndebele (12-3) def. Michele Clemente (7-2) – Unanimous Decision
- Justin Clarke (5-1) def. Abdoulaye Kane (5-2) – TKO (Punches) R1, 2:12
- Peace Nguphane (9-3) def. Yabna N’Tchala (14-3-1) – Unanimous Decision
- Shido Boris Esperança (12-2) def. Emilios Dassi (5-3) – TKO R1, 3:17
- Rivaldo Pereira (4-2) def. Kunle Lawal (3-2) – TKO R1, 2:09
Featured Bouts
- Juliet Ukah (9-0) def. Jane Osigwe (5-4) – Split Decision
- David Samuel (6-0) def. Abdelrahman Mohammad (5-1) – Submission (RNC) R1, 4:03
- Abdoul Razac Sankara vs. Áureo Cruz – No Contest (Accidental Eye Poke)
- Shadrack Dju Yemba def. Jean‑Jacques Lubaya – Split Decision
- Asiashu Tshitamba def. Shannon van Tonder – Unanimous Decision
- Felista‑Mutheu Mugo def. Annet Kiiza – Unanimous Decision
Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, and Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and is also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer. He’s also the main photographer for the 4CornersMafia Car Club.
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