Kenya's Felista Mugo made a statement at EFC 114 after stopping a rising prospect in South Africa's Aneesha Mayman via TKO in the first round in 2024. Picture: EFCWorldwide
Image: EFCWorldwide
In keeping with its promise to deliver more opportunities for women on its fight cards, PFL Africa has confirmed the opening fight for its first show of PFL Africa: Season Two.
On April 10, 2026, the Professional Fighters League will kickstart its 2026 campaign at the SunBet Arena at Time Square, Menlyn Maine, Pretoria, in what promises to build on last year’s inaugural season, which saw the brand roll out its African franchise.
The opening fight for the Pretoria card will see Uganda’s Annet “Rose” Kiiza (3–1) face Kenya’s Felista “The Young Queen” Mugo (5–2–1) in a Women’s Strawweight Showcase bout that is set to kick off a jam-packed fight card.
The main event will see the return of the inaugural PFL Africa 2025 Bantamweight Tournament winner, Nkosi Ndebele (11–3), who will take on Italy’s Michele Clemente (7–1), an Oktagon MMA standout currently riding a five-fight win streak as he enters his first PFL Africa event.
This exciting match-up highlights PFL Africa’s commitment not only to placing a strong focus on women’s MMA, but also to delivering exhilarating fights. Kiiza is a finishing specialist, having never gone past the second round in her professional career to date, with three TKOs and one submission on her résumé.
In her last fight in December 2025, competing at ANZA MMA Fight Nights 5 in Nairobi, Kenya, Kiiza delivered an upset of note when she stopped hometown favourite Rael Ashubwe (1–2) with devastating punches at the 2:30 mark of the second round.
The Kampala powerhouse is set to put the Strawweight division — which featured last year — on notice with her show-stopping capabilities and is one to keep an eye on heading into the championship rounds.
Standing in her way, however, is another finisher who refuses to hold back: Mugo, the newest addition to the PFL Africa family.
Mugo will not only be looking to avenge the loss suffered by her compatriot Ashubwe, but also to lay down a marker by silencing one of the biggest threats in Kiiza early in the season.
With eight fights spanning various promotions, including the Extreme Fighting Championship, Mugo is the more experienced campaigner. She also boasts an excellent finishing rate and a legacy that has already helped place Kenyan MMA on the global map through her well-rounded and versatile grappling and striking abilities.
Her last fight took place at the Impact Championship 5 event in July last year, which ended in a frustrating majority draw against the DRC’s Sephora Kiala (2–0–1). Mugo will be eager to remedy that result, especially on a card of this magnitude, as a standout performance on a PFL Africa platform would do wonders for her career moving forward.
South Africa’s heavyweight star Justin Clarke (4–1) will face Senegal’s Abdoullah Kane (5–1) in the co-main event of PFL Africa Season 2 in the country’s administrative capital.
Clarke was one of the standout fighters in the PFL Africa heavyweight division last season, eventually reaching the final before suffering defeat to devastating Ivorian finisher Abraham Bably (8–2).
Kane was equally tipped as one of the fighters to watch. However, an illegal knee against Nigeria’s Joffie Houlton in Cape Town saw him removed from the tournament prematurely.
He was later given an opportunity to return to the PFL Africa 2025 programme through showcase fights, where he did not disappoint, delivering two stoppage victories. He will now aim to build a strong campaign in 2026 and position himself firmly within the heavyweight tournament bracket, with his sights set on claiming the title.
In late January, PFL Africa confirmed its return to South Africa following a successful inaugural season last year, which included events in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kigali (Rwanda), and the finals in Cotonou (Benin).
The Professional Fighters League is one of the world’s premier MMA organisations, alongside the UFC, and became the first major global promotion to establish a structured league in Africa as part of its international expansion strategy. This broader expansion has also included the launch of PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and PFL Pacific.
Africa has become one of the fastest-growing regions in global MMA, producing elite talent such as Bokang Masunyane, Demarte Pena, Dricus du Plessis, Don Madge, Francis Ngannou, Themba Gorimbo, Israel Adesanya, and Kamaru Usman, all of whom have excelled on the international stage.
With the launch of its African league, the organisation aims to focus on developing homegrown talent by providing pathways for African fighters to compete globally and become champions. Equally important is its mission to deliver world-class events to African fans — a passionate and rapidly growing audience.
In 2025, PFL Africa crowned its first champions, including Nkosi Ndebele, Yabna N’Tchala, Abraham Bably, and Wasi Adeshina, each earning $100,000 in prize money.
While it was previously stated that these champions would receive opportunities to enter global tournament brackets and compete against the world’s elite, Independent Media understands that there are currently no further updates regarding that next step.
Additional fights for the PFL Africa Season 2 First Round will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.
IOL Sport