Nkosi Ndebele outworks Michele Clemente. The Professional Fighters League (PFL) made its debut in Pretoria at the SunBet Arena, and the South African crowd got a full night of action with exciting fights and big performances from start to finish.
In the bantamweight main event, the crowd watched Nkosi Ndebele take on Michele Clemente in a high-paced battle. Both fighters exchanged sharp punches and elbows early on. Clemente kept pushing forward with constant pressure, but Ndebele answered with clean counters. It turned into a war, but in the end, the South African got his hand raised with a unanimous decision win.
The co-main event also brought chaos next, as Senegal’s Abdoulaye Kane and South Africa’s Justin Clarke went all out in a wild fight. Kane landed a big early combination that left Clarke cut and hurt, but Clarke refused to back down. He stayed in the pocket, fired back, and landed a powerful counter right hand that dropped Kane hard to the canvas for the finish.
One other interesting fight on the card was between David Samuel and Abdelrahman Mohammed. Nigeria’s David Samuel kicked off his welterweight tournament run in style, finishing Abdelrahman Mohammad in the first round. Samuel dropped him multiple times with sharp boxing, then followed him to the ground and locked in the submission to get a clean win. In another welterweight matchup, Guinea-Bissau’s Rivaldo Pereira stepped in on just a day’s notice and made it count. He stopped Kunle Lawal in the first round after landing a brutal body shot that folded him, then finished the fight with elbows on the ground. With those wins, Samuel and Pereira are now set to face each other in the semi-finals in what promises to be a clash of dangerous finishers.
Angola’s Shido Boris Esperança also impressed, dominating Emilios Dassi in a near-perfect performance. After taking him down, Esperança secured top position and rained down elbows and punches until the referee stepped in to stop the fight in the first round. In another welterweight bout, Yabna “The Panther” N’Tchala started strong against Peace Nguphane, landing heavy shots early. But Nguphane stayed calm, took the fight to the ground, and controlled the action with takedowns and strong top pressure. He used ground-and-pound to turn things around and earned a unanimous decision win to the delight of the home fans. With that result, Esperança and Nguphane are now set to meet in the semi-finals later this year.
In an all-Nigerian clash, Juliet Ukah faced Jane Osigwe in a catchweight bout. Both fighters exchanged kicks and punches from the start, but Ukah controlled the center and landed cleaner counter shots as the fight went on. Her pressure and accuracy earned her a split decision victory.
The night also came with big news as PFL Africa is heading to West Africa. The promotion announced its second event will take place on June 13 at the Eko Arena in Lagos, Nigeria. Nigerian rising star and 2025 PFL Africa Featherweight Champion Wasi Adeshina will headline the card against Spain’s Ignacio Campos. The co-main event will feature another Nigerian talent, Patrick Ocheme, taking on Cameroon’s Octave Ayinda in a lightweight bout.
As the dust settled in Pretoria, it was clear that PFL Africa has arrived. From breakout performances to future stars making statements, the night delivered everything fans hoped for. And with the next stop set for Lagos, the journey is only just getting started.
PFL AFRICA: PRETORIA Results:
Nkosi Ndebele (12-3) def Michele Clemente (7-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Justin Clarke def Abdoulaye Kane via TKO (punches) in round 1 at 2:12
Peace Nguphane def Yabna N’Tchala (14-3-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Shido Boris Esperança def Emilios Dassi via TKO (elbows and punches) in round one at 3:17
Rivaldo Pereira (4-2) def Kunle Lawal via TKO (punch to body and elbows) in round one at 2:09
Juliet Ukah def Jane Osigwe via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)
David Samuel def Abdelrahman Mohammad via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:03 of round one
Abdoul Razac Sankara vs. Áureo Cruz (3-0) ended in a No Contest (accidental eye poke) at 0:18 into round 2
Shadrack Dju Yemba def Jean-Jacques Lubaya via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Asiashu Tshitamba def Shannon van Tonder via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Felista-Mutheu Mugo def Annet Kiiza via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
