PFL Champions Series 2 fight week is here. While the ongoing PFL World Tournament is still in the midst of its island between the semifinal phase and the tournament championships in August, the promotion continues its tour across the world this weekend.
For the first time ever, the PFL will trek to Africa, specifically Cape Town and GrandWest Arena, for this Saturday’s show. After a hiatus of nearly six months, the Champions Series resumes with some cracking fights.
It’ll be a packed night of action on Saturday, as before the PFL Champions Series 2 late card begins, the opening round of the PFL Africa tournament will take place in both the bantamweight and heavyweight divisions. Inside the United States, there are easy ways to watch this weekend’s event in Cape Town.
PFL Champions Series 2 Main Card Available Via ESPN+ Stateside
If you’re thinking of watching PFL Champions Series 2 and you’re in America, the promotion just dropped some good news this morning. According to a Tuesday press release from the organization, ESPN+, the rightsholder of the PFL World Tournament, will carry the late card wall-to-wall Saturday afternoon.
Airtime for the late card is 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT. If you’re looking to watch the PFL Africa portion of the evening, you’ll need to download the official PFL app on your device of choice.
All told, Saturday’s schedule at PFL Champions Series 2 features a full card of 14 fights.
PFL Champions Series 2 Main Event: Middleweight Championship: [C] Johnny Eblen vs. Costello van Steenis
At the top of the bill on Saturday night, the middleweight championship is at stake. The final Bellator MMA Middleweight Champion, Johnny Eblen (16-0 MMA, 2-0 PFL), defends his strap against challenger Costello van Steenis (16-3 MMA, 1-0 PFL.)
As with all MMA championship fights, the PFL Champions Series 2 main event is an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close out the show. Johnny Eblen enters this card having yet to lose in his professional MMA career.
Last time out, he scored a unanimous decision victory over Fabian Edwards (15-4 MMA, 9-3 PFL) in a rematch during PFL Super Fights in October of 2024. This is the fourth defense of the title in Eblen’s current reign.
Eblen will forever be known as the last man to hold the strap in Bellator MMA at the point of the brand ceasing operations in January of this year. It’s up to him to carry Bellator’s legacy, and it begins with the PFL Champions Series 2 main event.
Across the way, Costello van Steenis has posted a mark of 4-1 in his last five fights. Currently, he’s on a two-fight winning streak. Back on Black Friday in November, he finished off Joao Vitor Dantas (7-2, 0-1 PFL) with a head kick in only 48 seconds during the World Championships card.
van Steenis will have a most challenging assignment awaiting him on Saturday in PFL Champions Series 2. Will he pass the test?
PFL Champions Series 2 Co-Main Event: Dakota Ditcheva vs. Sumiko Inaba
Immediately prior to the main event of the evening, the PFL Champions Series 2 co-main event sees action taking place at women’s flyweight. Undefeated Dakota Ditcheva (14-0 MMA, 9-0 PFL), last year’s PFL Women’s Flyweight Champion, puts her winning streak at risk against Sumiko Inaba (8-1 MMA, 1-0 PFL). This fight is a three-round affair at five minutes per round.
Ditcheva’s professional record remains spotless as of this writing. Last November, she secured the strap at 125 lbs by stopping Talia Santos (22-4 MMA, 3-1 PFL) with shots to the body in the second round of an advertised five.
Knockout victories have become habitual for Dakota Ditcheva and her camp. Heading into PFL Champions Series 2, she’s accumulated nine wins inside the distance and has finished all but one of her career victories before the final bell has tolled on fight night.
While the Fourth of July holiday is past inside the United States, Dakota Ditcheva is a fighter who’s known to bring the fireworks. Will there be another firecracker this week?
Meanwhile, Sumiko Inaba comes into the weekend with a mark of 4-1 in her last five fights. At the present time, she’s on a two-fight winning streak. Late last summer in San Diego at Pechanga Arena, she finished Mackenzie Stiller (4-1 MMA, 2-1 Bellator) in with ground and pound in the second round of the contest.
Much like Ditcheva, Inaba is also known for her proclivity to complete her task inside the cage without the need for any judges’ scorecards. This has clear potential to be among the evening’s best contests.
PFL Champions Series 2: AJ McKee vs. Akhmed Magomedov
Also on the late card of PFL Champions Series 2, you’ll be treated to a featherweight contest matching two fighters who have combined for 33 professional victories. AJ McKee (22-2 MMA, 1-1 PFL) squares off against Akhmed Magomedov (11-1, 1 NC MMA, 1-0 PFL.)
McKee enters the card having posted a record of 4-1 over the course of his last five appearances inside the cage, but he’s reeling from a defeat by way of split decision against Paul Hughes (14-2 MMA, 2-1 PFL) last October in the Super Fights card. As his record indicates, this is a man who doesn’t lose too often.
After each of the two times that he’s tasted defeat inside the cage, he’s stormed right back with a victory his next fight. Will that be true this time around? Only time will tell.
In the other corner, Akhmed Magomedov has gone 4-1 in his last five appearances. Back on Jan. 25, during PFL Champions Series 1, he submitted Nathan Kelly (11-4 MMA, 4-2 PFL) with a rear-naked choke during the second round.
Like McKee, the word “losing” is not in Magomedov’s vocabulary. Who emerges as the winner in this one?
Final Thoughts
Which fight or fights are you looking forward to on PFL Champions Series 2? Let us know in the comments section.
