Helios And Pfl Launch African League With Ngannou As Chairman

The African division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has officially launched, following an investment from Helios Sports & Entertainment Group (HSEG).

HSEG is the sport arm of Helios Investment Partners, a London-headquartered, Africa-focused private equity investment firm with offices in Nairobi, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria.

Current PFL athlete Francis Ngannou, a native of Cameroon, will serve as Chairman of the newly created PFL Africa, and is thought to also have an equity stake in the business.

“I am excited and honoured to serve as Chairman of PFL Africa, a league that will shape the very foundation of African MMA,” said Ngannou. “As we have seen there is a great wealth of talent in Africa just waiting to be given a global stage. I am so very proud to give back to my homeland and to provide great content to a region with such a passionate and diverse fanbase.”

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. We are looking forward to partnering with the PFL, a world class organisation, and with Francis Ngannou, who is a manifestation of the success of African talent on a global stage.

“HSEG is a committed partner of choice for global blue-chip sports and entertainment properties in Africa such as the PFL. This marks our fourth investment following our successful partnership with the NBA in the NBA Africa, our investment in global entertainment company The Malachite Group with a portfolio that includes Afro Nation and Piano People and our investment in Zaria Group, a multi-purpose venue management business. 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.”

Today’s announcement follows the organisation’s establishment of PFL Europe, a joint venture with DAZN, and PFL MENA, 20% of which is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

The formation of these regional leagues is part of the MMA promotion’s strategy of creating a ‘Champions League of MMA’, regional qualifying tournaments that ladder up into a global championship final, with further divisions proposed for Mexico, Australia and Asia.

“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 CEO 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.”