Maxwell Djantou Nana got off to a flying to his PFL career.
The Cameroonian heavyweight left Kent Mafileo lying motionless on the canvas after landing a thunderous right hand in his company debut.
Djantou Nana entered the fight as -410 favourite with the bookies and proved early doors why he was deserving of such odds.
From the off, the 33-year-old was straight on the front foot, landing heavy leg kicks on his American adversary, while there were some good boxing fundamentals on display as well.
But where the African star really excelled was in the grappling department, Maxwell Djantou Nana – who comes from a Sambo background – dumped Mafileo on his back twice in the second stanza yet he beckoned his foe back to his feet, where the real damage was done.
Towards the back end of the second round, with Manfileo backing up against the fence, Maxwell Djantou Nana unleashed a massive straight right that sent the American tumbling to the canvas facefirst.
Speaking in the immediate aftermath of his impressive win, Maxwell Djantou Nana said: “I want everybody to listen to this, they call me Leonardis, the breaker of men. I’m coming for everybody.
“I want to say thank the management because PFL Africa is a great opportunity for all the young guys.
“We have a lot of talent and we just need the opportunity to show what we can do.
“You are going to be surprised by the big fighters from Africa.”
Maxwell Djantou Nana is one of the first fighters to be added to the PFL Africa roster, chaired by Francis Ngannou.
The league is set to be launched in the second quarter of 2025 and will join PFL Europe and PFL MENA as part of PFL’s network of regional leagues.
“I am excited and honored 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.”
Ngannou makes his long-awaited return to MMA on October 19 in the PFL heavyweight title against Ferreira after a 33-month hiatus from the sport.
The card, which is co-headlined by a featherweight title fight between two-time PFL champion Larissa Pacheco and Female MMA pioneer Cris Cyborg is set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia live on DAZN PPV.
