Van Steenis pulls off stunning last-minute submission to dethrone Johnny Eblen at PFL Africa. It was a night of drama, heart, and an unforgettable twist as Costello van Steenis shocked the world by submitting the previously unbeaten Johnny Eblen with just nine seconds left in Round 5 of the PFL Champions Series Africa main event in Cape Town, South Africa.
History was made in Africa as the Professional Fighters League (PFL) brought its highly anticipated Champions Series to Cape Town for the first time. The PFL 1 Africa event was moved from July 26th to 19th. The Professional Fighters League (PFL) stepped onto African soil with a bang and brought a world title fight with it on Saturday, July 19 in Grand West Arena, Cape Town, South Africa
On Saturday night in Cape Town, the spotlight shined on an intense middleweight championship showdown in the main event between two fighters on opposite paths, the unbeaten king Johnny Eblen, and the surging challenger Costello van Steenis
It’s not every day thing to see someone with a perfect 16–0 record walk into the cage , but that’s who Johnny “Pressure” Eblen is. The American powerhouse is all gas, no brakes. He’s been crushing expectations since his days in Bellator, and since joining the PFL, he’s shown no signs of slowing down. Earlier this year, he dominated Fabian Edwards to keep his title and extend his unbeaten streak. Before that, he went toe-to-toe with Anatoly Tokov in a five-round grindfest that reminded everyone why he’s one of the most suffocating wrestlers in the game. Now he’s headed to South Africa to defend his belt in front of a brand-new audience.
His opponent, Costello van Steenis, a name that’s been bubbling under the surface for years. He’s not one to talk much, but inside the cage, his skills speak volumes. At 16–3, the Spanish-Dutch fighter has been through ups and downs including a tough 2023 loss to Fabian Edwards , but he’s clawed his way back. Van steenis riding a three-fight winning streak that included recent finishes of Mike Shipman and another with João Dantas. A knockout power striker, his last major highlight was a head-kick KO in 48 seconds, a finish that injected serious hype into his title hopes. He’s back to give fans an experience they won’t forget in hurry
The fight started with Eblen doing exactly what he’s known for, pressure, takedowns, and relentless ground control. In Rounds 1 and 2, Eblen set the tone by repeatedly grounding Van Steenis, riding his back, and landing heavy strikes and submission attempts. Van Steenis fought off choke after choke and showed toughness, but Eblen looked in total control.
Round 3 saw a shift. Van Steenis started finding more success on the feet, stuffing takedowns and landing slick combinations. Eblen slowed slightly, and Van Steenis gained momentum with powerful kicks and jabs, making Round 4 his best yet. He stunned Eblen with crisp strikes and even knocked him off his feet with a calf kick.
But it was Round 5 that sealed Van Steenis’ legacy. Eblen shot for takedowns, tried to control the back, and seemed to be grinding out another win.
The crowd grew restless as the action slowed. But with under a minute left, Van Steenis scrambled, reversed the position, and took Eblen’s back. In a blink, he locked in a rear-naked choke tight. Eblen didn’t tap.
The referee checked his arm, he was out cold. With just nine seconds on the clock, Van Steenis pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in recent PFL history. Van Steenis improves to 17-3 and captures the PFL Middleweight World Title, while Eblen suffers his first career loss, dropping to 16-1.
In the co-main event of the night, rising star Dakota Ditcheva showed why she’s one of the most feared strikers in the division, putting on a clinic against the incredibly tough Sumiko Inaba.
From the opening bell, the pace was wild. Inaba charged forward throwing hands, but Ditcheva stayed composed and immediately answered back with sharp combos and brutal knees from the Thai clinch. Round after round, Ditcheva’s striking was on point, elbows, front kicks, and nasty knees up the middle and she kept finding her rhythm inside the clinch.
Inaba, to her credit, showed insane grit. She kept walking forward through the fire, refusing to quit even when Ditcheva was clearly dominating the exchanges. At times it felt like Inaba was fighting just to survive, but she never stopped coming forward. By Round 2, it was clear Ditcheva had taken full control. She unloaded powerful strikes while Inaba struggled to mount any meaningful offense.
Round 3 came and Ditcheva dominated the round with sharp, relentless striking, landing heavy leg kicks, head punches, and a spinning back kick. Despite Inaba’s pressure and attempts at takedowns, Ditcheva controlled the distance, defended well, and continued to land clean shots. Inaba’s face showed the damage, but she stayed on her feet until the final horn.
Inaba’s heart kept her in it until the final bell.
It was a one-sided battle, but an entertaining one thanks to Inaba’s toughness and Ditcheva’s relentless aggression. A showcase performance for Ditcheva, and a reminder of just how much heart Inaba brings to the cage. Check out PFL Africa results below.
Main Card
Costello van Steenis def. Johnny Eblen via submission (RNC) (R5, 4:51)
Dakota Ditcheva def. Sumiko Inaba via unanimous decision
A.J. McKee def. Akhmed Magomedov via unanimous decision
Artur Zaynukov def. Takeshi Izumi via unanimous decision
Corey Anderson def. Denis Goltsov via second-round TKO (3:28)
Preliminary Card
Nkosi Ndebele def. Mahmoud Atef via first-round TKO (4:50)
Maxwell Djantou Nana def. Mickael Groguhe via unanimous decision
Boule Godogo def. Shannon Van Tonder via split decision (30-26, 28-29, 29-27)
Justin Clarke def. Jashell Ticha Awa via first-round TKO (5:00) (doctor’s advice)
Karim Henniene def. Antero dos Santos via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
Joffie Houlton def. Abdoulaye Kane via DQ (illegal knee) (R1, 4:20)
Simbarashe Hokonya def. Frans Mlambo via unanimous decision (30-26 x2, 30-25)
Abraham Bably def. Badr Medkouri via first-round KO (4:59)
Juliet Ukah vs. Ceileigh Niedermayr via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
