By Atoyebi Nike
Nigerian fighter Ukah extended her perfect record to 7-0 with a dominant unanimous decision victory over South Africa’s Ceileigh Niedermayr in the main event of PFL Africa’s historic debut show on Saturday night. All three judges scored the strawweight bout 30-27 in Ukah’s favor.
The 26-year-old, who entered MMA as a replacement fighter just two years ago, made history by becoming the first African woman to win a PFL bout on the continent. The event marked the first time the Professional Fighters League has hosted a card in Africa.
In heavyweight tournament action, Ivory Coast’s Abraham Bably improved to 6-2 with a first-round knockout of Paul Emmanuel Gnaze at 4:59 of the opening frame. Bably, who trains in London, will face Nigeria’s Joffie Houlton in the semifinals after Houlton advanced via disqualification when opponent Abdoulaye Kane landed an illegal knee just 40 seconds into their bout.
Zimbabwe’s Simbarashe Hokonya maintained his undefeated record (6-0) with a unanimous decision win over Frans Mlambo in the bantamweight tournament. Scores were 30-26 twice and 30-25 for Hokonya, who will face the winner of Nkosi Ndebele versus Mahmoud Atef in the next round.
Algerian fighter Karim Henniene kept his perfect record intact (5-0) with a split decision victory over Asiashu Tshitamba in another bantamweight contest. Two judges scored it 30-27 and 29-28 for Henniene, while a third had it 28-29 for Tshitamba. Henniene advances to face the winner of Shannon van Tonder versus Boule Godogo.
The event showcased Africa’s growing MMA talent and served as a qualifying platform for the PFL’s global season. Semifinal matchups will take place later this year, with winners moving on to compete in the 2025 PFL season.
