As its inaugural Africa season closes, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion, Professional Fighters League (PFL) is committed to a truly pan-African footprint.
PFL Africa General Manager Elias Schulze has told reporters that “Africa is open for business,” and the organization is considering strategic markets like Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and North Africa for the next seasons.
Launched this year, PFL Africa is set to make history with the crowning of the continent’s first-ever MMA Champions at the PFL Africa Finals in Cotonou, Benin on December 20.
Four PFL Africa Champions will be crowned across the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, and Bantamweight divisions. Each division winner will claim a $100,000 prize, representing one of the highest payouts for professional athletes in Africa, and earn the title of the inaugural PFL Africa Tournament Champion.
In a virtual press conference this week ahead of the Benin event, Schulze outlined the strategic and cultural reasons for choosing the West African nation to host the inaugural finals.
“Benin has a wonderful cultural history around obviously the fighting traditions… it’s strong leadership in regards to sports and cultural development,” Schulze stated, calling the nation “one of the key heartbeats of Africa.”
Cameroon among future market targets
The decision was solidified through a partnership with the EYA Centre, EYA Foundation, and the Ministries of Tourism and Sport, whose leaders were actively invested in hosting the finale.
The PFL Africa GM said the December 20 event will feature a unique, intimate VIP setup at the Sofitel Dome, complemented by four public watch parties across the city, broadcast live on Canal Plus and possibly Benin TV, reaching up to “40, 50, 60 million households.”
Looking ahead, Schulze confirmed that PFL Africa is committed to a truly pan-African footprint. Acknowledging Cameroon as a “factory of talent”—a fact he believes is due in part to “heroes that have already emerged from those countries like Francis Ngannou”—Schulze revealed key markets for future events would be in West Africa – including Cameroon, Nigeria and Ivory Coast.
He also confirmed the league’s ambition to expand to North Africa to ensure PFL Africa touches all four corners of the continent in the coming years.
