He is a former amateur wrestling champion and, by his own admission, he is easily underestimated by opponents because of his physique.

But Elbert Steyn, one of Pretoria’s rising MMA stars, usually has the last laugh.

“Once they’ve dealt with my power, they quickly realize with surprise what they’re dealing with,” Steyn said earlier this week on the eve of his Professional Fighters League (PFL) featherweight bout against an opponent from Morocco.

As the world’s fastest growing MMA tournament lands in Gauteng, Steyn, a very talented fighter and one of the true characters in MMA ranks, is ready to make history in front of a sold-out home crowd on Saturday.

He is known as “Pikachu” in the ring because of his physical appearance.

When asked about his nickname, Steyn replied that at one point in his career he took a long break from martial arts during which he was not very active. Then he returned to the sport with a slight belly. The guys in the gym started jokingly calling him ‘Pikachu’ after the Pokémon character.

“But they soon realized that my appearance wasn’t the last thing they remembered about me after sparring with me. I still beat them up,” he said with a smile.

On Saturday 9 August, PFL Africa will host its second ever event in Gauteng, following a sold-out debut in Cape Town in July.

This event will see Steyn step into the PFL SmartCage for a first-round featherweight bout against Morocco’s Abderrahman Errachidy in the Big Top Arena at Carnival City, Brakpan.

The 25-year-old Steyn is the only South African fighter on the card, which features 20 of the best featherweights and welterweights on the continent.

Steyn will be looking to extend his unbeaten professional record (3-0) against Errachidy and secure his place in the PFL Africa semi-finals in the process.

Speaking at the official PFL Africa: Johannesburg Media Event hosted at Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, Steyn highlighted the importance the crowd will play in his fight.

“PFL Africa is definitely a history making event and everyone there on Saturday is going to be part of history. I am super excited to be there and I know the crowd is going to absolutely bring it. I have also got a lot of supporters, and I am going to carry them on my back. That pressure helps shape and motivate me, so I love to have that support and deal with the pressure it brings,” he commented.

Nigeria’s Patrick Ocheme, who will take on Mohamed Camara from Guinea in the main event, emphasised the importance of PFL Africa in providing a platform to local fighters.

“There are a lot of guys who are constantly training, just waiting for the opportunity to show the world what they can actually do. PFL Africa provides that opportunity to showcase our talents on a global stage,” Steyn remarked.

Steyn described taking part in an event of the magnitude of the PFL in South Africa as a dream come true.

“I never thought I would do PFL in South Africa. I always knew I’d make it to the big stage eventually, but I didn’t think that would be locally, so that’s a shocker for me,” he said.

In total, 32 fighters representing 15 African nations will compete across the four PFL Africa divisions in 2025, as the league embarks on a continent wide journey to crown the first-ever PFL Africa Champions.

For more details, visit the Professional Fighters League (PFL) website at https://pflmma.com or follow them on social media.

Fight fans can catch the action live on Saturday night. Tickets can be purchased from TicketPro.

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