Mark your calendars because October 18, 2025 is when MMA fans will have access to the PFL Africa 3. Taking place in Kigali, Rwanda, the Professional Fighters League Africa 3 will represent a defining moment for African combat sports. We will have the chance to watch the league’s semifinals, where the continent’s best fighters will battle for a place in the finals.
Some of Africa’s household names in MMA, like Francis Ngannou, Israel Adesanya, and Kamaru Usman, have inspired a new generation of fighters. Some of them will be at PFL Africa 3 and will do everything they can for a chance to break onto the world stage. The event looks very promising, so let’s learn everything about it.
PFL Africa 3 Overview
As mentioned, PFL Africa 3 will be one of the defining MMA spectacles of 2025, at least in Africa. The tournament will take place in Rwanda starting on October 18 and will allow us to watch some of the continent’s best players.
What makes this tournament more intriguing than the one is its scale. From the looks of it, PFL Africa 3 will be one of the largest MMA events in Africa’s history, with a global reach. This is good news for everyone involved because the fighters who perform well have the chance to get international recognition.
PFL Africa 3 will allow us to watch the semifinals of the 2025 PFL Africa event in the following four divisions:
- Heavyweight
- Welterweight
- Featherweight
- Bantamweight
We already have access to the Main Card and Preliminary Card matches, so here’s what we’ll see, starting with the Main Card:
- Patrick Ocheme vs Abdul Razak Sankara – Featherweight
- Simbarashe Hokonya vs Nkosi Ndebele – Bantamweight
- Shido Boris Esperanca vs Ayinda Octave – Walterweight
- Maxwell Djantou Nana vs Justin Clarke – Heavyweight
In terms of the Preliminary card, we’ll see the following:
- James Opio vs Isaac Omeda – Featherweight
- Mohamed Camara vs Alain Majorisque – Featherweight
- Abdoullah Kane vs TBA – Heavyweight
- Abraham Bably vs Joffie Houlton – Heavyweight
- Wasi Adeshina vs Dwilight Joseph – Featherweight
- Yabna N’Tchalá vs Emilios Dassi – Welterweight
- Boule Godogo vs Karim Henniene – Bantamweight
For sportsbooks, these matches mean they can offer a wider range of betting options on MMA than usual. We expect to see a variety of markets, boosted odds, and even special bonuses from some bookies.
The Main Matches to Watch
While we believe that all PFL Africa 3 MMA matches will be worth watching, there’s no arguing that two are more popular than others. Let’s take a look at the matches that are worth focusing on.
Ocheme vs Sankara
We want to start with the Ocheme vs Sankara match because it has all the makings of a classic. People who’ve been following both fighters now that Ocheme enters as the heavy hitter. His aggressive style has made him among the favorites and bettors usually like him because of his efficiency. Nevertheless, this usually comes at a cost, as it creates openings for counterattacks, something that we expect Sankara to take full advantage of.
Speaking of the devil, Sanbakra is very disciplined and very technical. He is famous for his grappling and ability to control the pace, which should work well against Ocheme’s offensive capabilities.
In terms of betting, most bookmakers that will allow people to wager on this event will consider Ocheme as the slight favorite. The fighter’s impressive knockout history makes him a solid pick, but Sanakra’s durability and patience should be taken into account.
Ndebele vs Hokonya
This is the co-main event of the PFL Africa 3 and it’s as interesting as he first one. Ndebele is one of the most dynamic strikers and has impressed us with his flashy kicks over the years. He is similar to Ocheme in a way because of his aggressive style and the fact that he likes to pressure his opponents.
With that said, Ndebele will have a lot of problems because Hokonya is not someone who will go down without a fight. From what we know, he is a clinch-heavy fighter who excels on the ground . In other words, this will be a classic striker-versus-grappler showdown that can go either way.
Moving to the sports betting side of this match, most bookies seem to think that both have equal chances of winning. People should be cautious if they decide to bet on the match, as it’s definitely one of the clashes where anything can happen.
Rising African Talents to Watch
No one can deny that the main card is going to be amazing to watch because it focuses on Africa’s next generation of MMA fighters. Ndebele, Sanakra, Hokonya, and Ocheme are the continent’s current MMA stars and will do what they can to step onto the big stage.
Starting with Ocheme, he has quickly gained a reputation as one of Africa’s top-tier strikers. His powerful punches have won him more than one match over the years, and he has become a betting favorite. He definitely has the K.O. potential, so we wouldn’t be surprised if he wins his match in the first round.
Moving on to Sankara, he represents the cerebral side of African MMA. He is a patient fighter and bettors often consider him a value pick. He has proven that he can grind it when least expected.
Ndebele has a similar style to Ocheme in terms of his style and efficiency. With that said, there have been several fights before where he failed to win when he did not find success early on. That’s why he is one of those picks that you need to be careful of.
The last name that we want to focus on is Hokonya. He is a grappling specialist who excels in clinches and often brings down the flashy strikers. Yes, he may not be the most interesting MMA fighter to watch, but there’s no denying he is efficient.
PFL Africa 3 Betting Options
Everyone looking to add even more excitement to the fight night will notice that bookies will offer different PFL Africa 3 betting options. Users can expect to find moneyline bets and different kinds of prop bets. They allow bettors to wager on specific outcomes, such as the method of victory, round betting, and more.
Another thing that we may see is different bonuses. MMA is one of those sports that benefits from cashback and odds boost, which explains why many bookies often have these proposals. It’s true that the competition is not as big as the UFC, but since it’s among the most impressive MMA events in Africa, some bookies may step up their game.
Conclusion
We can conclude that the PFL Africa 3 will be more than just another MMA event, especially for Africa. This will be a landmark moment for combat sports on the continent because we will see several epic matches.
Aside from the epic clashes, the event is expected to fuel economic growth and inspire local talent. Let’s also not forget sports bettors, as many will try to capitalize on this competition. Just make sure to learn more about the different bookmakers to see which one has better options.
