Ndebele ready to shine on home soil with PFL Africa debut

Newly signed PFL Africa star Nkosi Ndebele has no regrets about his loss to former BRAVE CF Bantamweight champion Nicholas Hwende, and the South African is looking forward to opening new doors with one of the largest MMA promotions in the world.

Ndebele (8-3-0) will make his debut in Africa’s inaugural Professional Fighters League event, taking place this Saturday, 19 July, at the Grand Arena, GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World.

The event will feature the first round of Bantamweight and Heavyweight match-ups, forming part of the PFL Africa elimination tournament that will crown its first champions later this year. This is PFL’s third international league, following the launch of PFL MENA and PFL Europe.

Speaking exclusively to Independent Media, Ndebele said he had no desire for a rematch after losing his BRAVE CF title to Zimbabwe’s Hwende at BRAVE CF 91 in December last year.

“I knew it was time to move on, even before the Jose Torres trilogy fight,” said Ndebele.

The Diepsloot-born athlete made history by becoming the first African BRAVE CF champion when he dethroned the world-renowned American Jose Torres (13-4-1) in their rematch at BRAVE CF 80 in 2023.

It was a sweet moment for Ndebele, who many felt had won their initial meeting four months earlier, where Torres claimed a narrow split-decision victory.

Ndebele settled the score with a dominant unanimous decision win at BRAVE CF 82, before facing a new challenge in the rising Zimbabwean in Mauritius.

There, Hwende made history of his own, becoming the first Zimbabwean to win a BRAVE CF title.

“Just before the Torres trilogy, the PFL had already come knocking, but BRAVE CF said ‘no’,” said Ndebele, referencing the terms tied to a BRAVE CF championship, including the ‘championship clause’.

“The BRAVE CF championship clause means you need to have two or three more fights with the organisation. That could take up to two years to complete. That was the most mentally challenging period for me.

“So, when things played out the way they did with Nicholas, I was happy to move on. I didn’t even want the Hwende fight, never mind a rematch.

“Sometimes, things don’t happen the way we want them to. You might not leave BRAVE CF as a champion, but holding onto the title could mean missing out on a great opportunity – like signing with the PFL. Leaving BRAVE CF that way may have been one step back, but I believe it will lead to 20 steps forward.”

MzansiMMA and Independent Media reached out to BRAVE CF, who confirmed the above.

“Nkosi’s signed agreement included a championship clause which stated that ‘should a fighter become a champion during the contract term, they must remain with BRAVE CF exclusively as long as they hold the title, unless BRAVE CF agrees otherwise,’” said BRAVE CF matchmaker Rizwan Ali.

“With a championship clause, upon the end of the original contract term, if the fighter is still champion, the contract automatically extends by either one year or until they complete three more fights, whichever comes first – and these terms are flexible,” added Ali.

He further explained that should a fighter wish to leave BRAVE CF after winning a title, they are subject to contractual obligations and restrictions, which often include financial penalties and legal conditions designed to protect the integrity of the championship.

Now, Nkosi has the opportunity to “really connect” with his African fans after BRAVE CF allowed him to compete on four continents in recent years.

“It’s a blessing for me because I know this is a big opportunity, signing with the PFL – one of the biggest MMA and sports brands in the world,” he said. “Not only that, I’m part of the debut show in Africa, and I thank God for this big blessing.

“I’m grateful to BRAVE CF. Starting my international journey with them was good. It was an opportunity to grow and gauge the standard.

“What makes this new journey so special is that the PFL is allowing me to really connect with my African brothers and sisters, especially here in Mzansi.

“When I fought for BRAVE CF, I went out of the reach of African MMA fans, so many of them don’t know much about me. The only times I fought in South Africa were in 2018 and 2020,” added Ndebele, reflecting on his time with the Bahrain-based promotion known for its global schedule.

The 2025 PFL Africa tournament will include four events across the continent, featuring 32 top fighters from 15 African countries. They will compete across four divisions for the chance to win PFL gold – and open even bigger doors within the PFL’s global ecosystem.

On 9 August, the Welterweight and Featherweight divisions will be on display at Carnival City in Johannesburg as the tournament continues its march toward crowning the first-ever PFL Africa champions.