The Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced the full card for the historic PFL Africa Finals, taking place December 20 at the iconic Sofitel Dome in Cotonou, Benin. The landmark event will crown the first-ever PFL Africa Champions across four divisions—Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, and Bantamweight—with each champion earning a $100,000 prize, one of the highest athlete payouts in African sports.
The finals will be broadcast across the continent on CANAL+, SuperSport, SportyTV, StarzPlay, PFL’s streampflafrica.com, and ten additional African broadcasters. Viewers in the United States can watch live on VICE TV for the first time and through the PFL App.
Fabrice Faux, CANAL+ Director Content, Sport and General Entertainment, French-speaking Africa, commented:
“As part of our commitment to foster fight sports for our African audience, we are proud to host and broadcast this historic event. The Republic of Benin, as well as the Professional Fighters League, can rely on their long-lasting partner CANAL+ SPORT to promote and expose this championship widely across the Continent.”
Headlining the card, South Africa’s Nkosi “King of Many Nations” Ndebele (10-3) faces Algeria’s undefeated Karim “The Kryptonian” Henniene (6-0) for the PFL Africa Bantamweight Championship. In the co-main event, Angola’s finishing machine Shido Boris Esperança (11-1) meets Guinea-Bissau’s striking specialist Yabna N’Tchala (13-2-1) for the Welterweight Championship.
Benin’s own Jean Do Santos (9-1) looks to electrify his home crowd in a Lightweight Showcase Bout against Nigerian contender Cornel Thompson (10-3). Santos enters the PFL after capturing the AKO Lightweight title via an unforgettable 8-second flying knee knockout, one of Africa’s fastest highlight finishes.
Championship gold is also on the line in the Heavyweight Finals, where South Africa’s undefeated Justin Clarke (4-0) with a 100% finish rate, battles Ivory Coast powerhouse Abraham Bably (7-2). The Featherweight Finals feature Cameroonian standout Alain Majorique (6-0) against Nigeria’s surging Wasi Adeshina (9-3), currently riding a five-fight win streak.
The card will also shine a spotlight on the rapid rise of African women’s MMA, with two Strawweight Showcase bouts. Zambia’s decorated amateur Shelda Chipito (0-0)—2025 IMMAF African Gold Medalist and IMMAF Worlds Silver Medalist—makes her professional debut against Nigeria’s Miracle Andrew (1-1). Undefeated Nigerian phenom Juliet Ukah (7-0) faces Egypt’s Maryam Gaber (3-0), a former boxer turned MMA contender with a 5-1-1 boxing record.
With athletes representing 12 countries, the PFL Africa Finals will be a defining moment for the sport across the continent.
FULL FIGHT CARD – PFL AFRICA FINALS
Sofitel Dome, Cotonou, Benin
VICE TV & PFL App (U.S.) | CANAL+ (French Africa) | SuperSport (English Africa)
5 pm WAT | 4 pm GMT | 11 am EST | Saturday, 20 December
PFL Africa Bantamweight Finals:
PFL Africa Welterweight Finals:
Lightweight Showcase Bout:
PFL Africa Heavyweight Finals:
PFL Africa Featherweight Finals:
Women’s Strawweight Showcase:
Light Heavyweight Showcase:
Heavyweight Showcase:
Welterweight Showcase:
Bantamweight Alternate Bout:
Women’s Strawweight Showcase:
TABLE CARDS (Short Fighter vs. Fighter Display Cards)
These are formatted for in-arena tables, broadcast graphics, event signage, or social posts.
NKOSI NDEBELE (10-3)
vs.
KARIM HENNIENE (6-0)
SHIDO BORIS ESPERANÇA (11-1)
vs.
YABNA N’TCHALA (13-2-1)
JEAN DO SANTOS (9-1)
vs.
CORNEL THOMPSON (10-3)
JUSTIN CLARKE (4-0)
vs.
ABRAHAM BABLY (7-2)
ALAIN MAJORIQUE (6-0)
vs.
WASI ADESHINA (9-3)
JULIET UKAH (7-0)
vs.
MARYAM GABER (3-0)
STYVE NGONO (6-1)
vs.
MÉLÈDJE YEDOH (1-0)
ABDOULAYE KANE (4-1)
vs.
JASHELL TICHA AWA (3-2)
MOUHAMED BA (3-1)
vs.
BRITISH BOLOYOANG (3-2)
BOULE GODOGO (4-1)
vs.
THIMNA MHLAULI (5-0)
SHELDA CHIPITO (0-0)
vs.
MIRACLE ANDREW (1-1)
0 comments