Several stars of team sports such as rugby, soccer and cricket have testified in the past that one of the reasons why home-ground advantage is such a big factor, is the fact that players can draw energy from the support of the spectators in the pavilion.

If this theory is true, two fighters at Friday night’s 2026 PFL Africa 1 tournament at the SunBet Arena in Menlyn should receive a significant mental boost in their pursuit of success in the SmartCage during the event.

The second season of the African series of the American Professional Fighters League (PFL), called PFL Africa, kicks off on Friday, April 10 in Pretoria.

In the Co-Main Event, Pretoria’s own Justin Clarke faces Senegal’s Abdoulaye Kane in a Heavyweight Showcase Bout, while another local fighter, Asiashu Tshitamba, will have to fend off the onslaught of Shannon van Tonder from Boksburg in a Bantamweight Showcase that will take place earlier on the program.

– Although 38-year-old Clarke was born and raised in Kwazulu-Natal, he has been a Pretoria resident for 20 years. He enrolled as a student at the University of Pretoria (Tuks) after school and has called the capital city his home ever since.

This giant of a man, who stands 6’3″ in his socks and weighed in at almost 112kg, was also a good rugby player in his younger days.

However, it was as a kickboxer that he achieved his greatest sporting success for many years. Unfortunately, he only got involved in MMA late in his sporting career and his first professional fight was in May 2024 at the age of 36.

After winning his first four fights in the professional MMA arena, he fought for the PFL Africa heavyweight title last year at the PFL Africa 4: 2025 finals in Cotonou, Benin, against Abraham Bably of England.

Unfortunately, Bably won this fight early in the first round when he knocked out Clarke in a flurry of blows.

Clarke admitted earlier this week at the official media conference for Friday’s tournament that this defeat haunts him and that he wants to do everything in his power to make amends in the 2026 season.

This goal therefore begins on Friday night and with the help of the home crowd, Clarke can hopefully get back on the winning track.

Clarke will also be able to count on the support of a few superstars at his gym, the CIT Performance Institute in Hatfield. It’s of course the gym where international UFC stars like Dricus du Plessis and Cameron Saaiman also hone their fighting techniques.

– Tshitamba, who was born in Limpopo, has been a Pretoria resident since his primary school days at Hamilton Primary School in the city centre.

He completed his school career at Rietondale High School in the Moot and this area is still his home, where he is affiliated with the A-Team Stars gym in Gezina.

The 33-year-old Tshitamba is also on a mission to get his career back in the green column, after losing to Karim Henniene of Algeria by split points decision last year during PFL Africa 1: Cape Town 2025, the first PFL event in South Africa.

Friday’s fight will be Tshitamba’s 12th as a professional MMA fighter.

* The SunBet Arena’s doors will open at 5:00 PM on Friday evening and the action will kick off with the first fight at 6:00 PM. The SunBet Arena will open its doors at 5:00 PM on Friday evening and the action will kick off with the first fight at 6:00 PM. A few tickets are still available from Ticketmaster.

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