PFL 2026 Africa 1: Ndebele vs. Clemente (also known as 2026 PFL Africa 1: Pretoria) is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Professional Fighters League that will take place on April 10, 2026, at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.
Fight card
Main card (DAZN / PFL App)
Bantamweight Nkosi Ndebele vs. Michele Clemente
Heavyweight Justin Clarke vs. Abdoulaye Kane
Welterweight Peace Nguphane vs. Yabna N’Tchalá 2026 PFL Africa Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Welterweight Shido Boris Esperança vs. Emilios Dassi 2026 PFL Africa Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Welterweight Eliezer Kubanza vs. Kunle Lawal 2026 PFL Africa Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Preliminary card (DAZN / PFL App)
Women's Strawweight Juliet Ukah vs. Jane Osigwe
Welterweight Abdelrahman Mohamed vs. David Samuel 2026 PFL Africa Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Lightweight Abdul Razac Sankara vs. Aureo Cruz
Featherweight Shadrick Dju Yemba vs. Jean-Jacques Lubaya
Bantamweight Shannon van Tonder vs. Asiashu Tshitamba
Women's Strawweight Felista Mugo vs. Annet Kiiza
Background
PFL Africa Season 2 First Round, set for Friday, April 10, 2026, live from the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.
The event marks the official launch of PFL Africa Season 2 and continues the league’s mission to spotlight Africa’s top mixed martial arts talent on a global stage.
Headlining the card will be a Bantamweight Showcase Bout between 2025 PFL Africa Bantamweight Champion Nkosi “King” Ndebele (11-3) and Italy’s Michele “The Arrow” Clemente (7-1). Ndebele enters the bout competing in front of a home crowd and looking to extend his unbeaten record in PFL competition following his championship-winning performance in the 2025 Finals. Clemente arrives on a five-fight winning streak and brings a technical striking and grappling approach into the matchup. The contest places championship experience against a rising international challenger to open Season 2.
In the Co-Main Event, South Africa’s Justin Clarke (4-1) faces Senegal’s Abdoulaye Kane (5-1) in a Heavyweight Showcase Bout. Clarke returns after reaching the 2025 PFL Africa Heavyweight Final and will look to re-establish himself in front of the Pretoria crowd. Kane enters the bout on a two-fight knockout streak and has finished all of his professional victories. With neither fighter having gone to a decision, the matchup is expected to produce a decisive outcome.
In a Welterweight Tournament First Round bout, 2025 PFL Africa Welterweight Champion Yabna N’Tchala (14-2, 1 NC) takes on South Africa’s Peace Nguphane (8-3). N’Tchala begins his campaign pursuing a second PFL Africa title, while Nguphane enters on a four-fight winning streak and will be competing on home soil. Both fighters bring strong grappling backgrounds into the contest, making the bout a pivotal opening matchup in the tournament bracket.
Angola’s Shido Boris Esperança (11-2) meets Cameroon’s Emilios Dassi (5-2) in another Welterweight Tournament First Round contest. Esperança reached the finals of last season’s tournament and returns seeking to move past that result, while Dassi enters with a reputation for power and finishing ability. Both fighters previously lost to the eventual champion, adding further significance to a matchup that could shape the division moving forward.
Kicking off the main card, Eliezer Kubanza (8-1) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo goes up against Nigeria’s Kunle Lawal (3-1) in a Welterweight Tournament First Round matchup. Kubanza is known for his knockout power, having finished the majority of his professional victories. Lawal, meanwhile, brings a wrestling-based approach and will look to extend the fight and control the pace. The matchup presents a clear stylistic contrast as both fighters aim to advance in the tournament.
Also on the card, Juliet Ukah (8-0) puts her unbeaten record on the line against fellow Nigerian Jane Osigwe (5-3) in a Women’s Strawweight showcase bout. Ukah’s measured, technical approach meets Osigwe’s aggressive pace in an intriguing matchup.
The event will mark the promotion's first visit to Pretoria, which will be the third city to hold the PFL events in South Africa.
A bantamweight showcase bout between 2025 PFL Africa Bantamweight Tournament winner Nkosi Ndebele and Michele Clemente is scheduled to headline the event.
The event will feature the quarterfinals of 2026 PFL Africa Tournament in a welterweight division.
PFL 2026 Africa 1 - Ndebele vs. Clemente Promo
