PFL Africa Delivers Thrills in Cape Town and Sets Sights on Benin Finale

The PFL Champions Series Africa touched down in Cape Town this past weekend and delivered the kind of drama you hope for when a promotion stakes its flag on a new continent. The crowd inside GrandWest Arena got a full course of finishes, upsets, and jiu-jitsu that mattered. From a stunning last-minute rear-naked choke to grind-heavy wrestling clinics and body-lock passing under pressure, the action hit every beat.

Let’s start with the main event.

Costello Van Steenis pulled off one of the greatest comebacks of the year, submitting middleweight champion Johnny Eblen in the final seconds of the fifth round. Eblen dominated with relentless wrestling and positional control, often threatening the back or riding tight to turtle. But in a reversal of fortune that had the crowd on their feet, Van Steenis turned the tables, secured back control, and put Eblen to sleep with a rear-naked choke at 4:51 of Round 5. This was jiu-jitsu at its most dramatic: patient, punishing, and ultimately decisive.

Elsewhere on the card, Dakota Ditcheva stayed undefeated and showed sharp clinch control with Thai plum knees and short-range elbows en route to a dominant decision over Sumiko Inaba. While it was largely a striking showcase, Ditcheva’s positional dominance in the clinch was textbook grappling strategy fused with striking precision.

AJ McKee reminded us why his submission game is so feared. He mixed in early triangle attempts and back takes, floating from guillotine to body triangle in classic transitional jiu-jitsu. He swept, he scrambled, and he secured dominant positions against a game Akhmed Magomedov, cruising to a clean 30-27 across the board.

Artur Zaynukov and Corey Anderson also leaned heavily on control-based jiu-jitsu. Zaynukov neutralized Takeshi Izumi with timely takedowns and positional rides that negated any offensive threats. Anderson used wrestling entries to achieve full mount before finishing Denis Goltsov with a TKO flurry from top control.

And that’s not even including the prelims, where standouts like Nkosi Ndebele and Juliet Ukah made their mark. Ndebele ended his fight with first-round punches and Ukah put on a composed, tactical performance that showcased the kind of disciplined mat control you don’t often see on early cards.

But the biggest story may be what’s coming next.

During a watch party in Cotonou, Benin, PFL announced that the 2025 PFL Africa Finals will take place in Benin this December. The move marks another major step in the promotion’s push to establish an African MMA footprint, with Francis Ngannou expected to be in attendance. After a wildly successful stop in South Africa, the momentum is real and the roadmap is growing.

The story of PFL Africa is just getting started. And if Cape Town is any indication, the path to Benin will be paved with high stakes, heavy hands, and sharp jiu-jitsu.