Van Steenis clinches PFL title in Cape Town

by Dylan Johnson
Photo: PFLMMA/X

Four epic fights delivered high drama at PFL Cape Town on Saturday, with Dutchman Costello van Steenis producing a stunning late finish to dethrone Johnny Eblen in the main bout of the inaugural event.

Earlier on the blockbuster main card, Dakota Ditcheva, AJ McKee, and Corey Anderson also picked up significant wins in their respective bouts. The Professional Fighters League officially launched PFL Africa, the organization’s third international league, with the historic debut extravaganza at GrandWest in the Mother City.

Costello van Steenis vs Johnny Eblen

Costello van Steenis captured the PFL middleweight title with a remarkable fifth-round submission win over Johnny Eblen, turning the fight around after being controlled for much of the contest.

Eblen started strongly, using takedowns and top pressure to dominate the early rounds. He regularly advanced to side control and back mount, mixing short strikes with submission attempts while neutralising Van Steenis’ offence. Through the first four rounds, Eblen maintained control in the grappling exchanges and landed the more effective ground strikes.

The fifth round followed a similar pattern until Van Steenis reversed a takedown in the final minute. After taking the back and securing both hooks, he sunk in a rear-naked choke with less than 20 seconds remaining. Eblen failed to defend and was rendered unconscious with just nine seconds left on the clock.

Van Steenis was awarded the win via fifth-round technical submission (rear-naked choke, 4:51), becoming PFL middleweight champion and ending Eblen’s 16-fight unbeaten run.

Dakota Ditcheva vs Sumiko Inaba

Dakota Ditcheva remained unbeaten with a one-sided decision win over Sumiko Inaba. The former PFL Europe champion controlled the tempo with her striking and dictated the fight in the clinch.

Inaba started with pressure and aggression, but Ditcheva’s knees and elbows in close quarters quickly shifted the momentum. As the fight wore on, Ditcheva landed cleaner combinations, attacking the body and head with accuracy.

In rounds two and three, Ditcheva’s Muay Thai control was on full display. She rocked Inaba with a knee in the second and kept her at range with kicks and punches, never allowing her to find rhythm. Ditcheva took the unanimous decision with scores of 30-27 on all three cards.

AJ McKee vs Akhmed Magomedov

AJ McKee marked his return to featherweight with a solid decision win over Akhmed Magomedov. Both fighters traded takedowns and submission attempts, but McKee edged the contest with more control in key moments.

Magomedov had early success on the ground but struggled to hold position as McKee reversed and landed shots. In round two, McKee took the back and threatened with a rear-naked choke while maintaining dominant position throughout.

The third round remained competitive, with Magomedov securing another takedown before McKee countered with a triangle attempt and a late sweep. McKee finished the fight in control and earned the unanimous decision.

Corey Anderson vs Denis Goltsov

Corey Anderson scored a second-round TKO win over 2024 heavyweight champion Denis Goltsov in his return to action. Anderson leaned on his wrestling throughout, pinning Goltsov against the fence and landing key takedowns.

After a close opening round, Anderson secured full mount in the second and unleashed a barrage of ground strikes. The referee stepped in at 3:28 of round two as Goltsov failed to respond, handing Anderson a statement win at heavyweight.

UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov also made an appearance, coaching Artur Zaynukov to a unanimous decision against Japan’s Takeshi Izumi in their lightweight clash.

Photo: PFLMMA/X