PFL launches Africa league with investment from Helios – SportsPro Media

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The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has launched its latest regional mixed martial arts (MMA) competition in Africa.
The PFL has been working on the launch of its Africa league since partnering last year with MMA star Francis Ngannou, who will both fight for the promotion and serve as chairman of PFL Africa.
The arrival of PFL Africa sees it join the organisation’s other regional leagues in Europe and MENA. HSEG’s backing sees the firm add to an investment portfolio that includes both NBA Africa and the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
“The Professional Fighters League is excited to announce PFL Africa, the third international fight franchise as we continue on our path to becoming the Champions League of MMA,” said PFL chief executive Peter Murray.
“Africa is home to some of the greatest fighters in the world, including our league chairman Francis Ngannou, and some of the greatest fans in the sport. PFL Africa aims to serve the great fans with premium content while strengthening the PFL global footprint in what has for too long been an underserved market. Alongside our great investment and broadcast partners we cannot wait to kick off PFL Africa league action in 2025.” 
Tope Lawani, co-founder and managing partner of Helios Investment Partners, added: “African talent has had disproportionate success on the global MMA stage and MMA currently has a scarcity of events despite significant demand, creating a huge opportunity for growth as young Africans consume more digital content on their devices.” 
He continued: “We see several areas of direct synergies between PFL Africa and HSEG’s existing unique portfolio and we are excited by the opportunities such collaboration can bring to the continent.”
PFL Africa is due to get underway in the second quarter of 2025. The action is set to be shown across linear, digital and mobile platforms, with the PFL describing it as ‘Africa’s most accessible sports league’.
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