Africa: Professional Fighters League Aims to Make MMA 'The Second Sport of Africa' As Fandom Surges

27 July 2025
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)

South Africa has just hosted its biggest mixed martial arts event to date, and more are on the horizon thanks to the Professional Fighters League.

South Africa hosted the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) event the country has seen at the GrandWest Grand Arena in Cape Town on Saturday, 19 July.

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) had an explosive first night in Africa with both the launch of the inaugural PFL Africa event and then the PFL Champions Series following, with 13 fights during the evening.

It was a historical occasion for MMA in the country. An international fighting organisation not only hosted the biggest fighters in the world - outside the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) - but also established a local foothold to display South Africa's best to the world.

South Africa has its own local MMA organisation, Elite Fighting Championship (EFC) Worldwide, founded and run by the Howarth brothers. It provides a stepping stone for regional athletes to bigger organisations. UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis is an example of a star. But unlike the PFL, the EFC does not have the financial power to compete and retain talent against the UFC.

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