The Nigerian corporal making MMA history for Africa

Yahoo

18-07-2025

"I am the queen of the cage, mixed martial arts. I have come to stay - so watch out for me!"
Juliet Ukah is a woman who likes to take charge and grapple with huge challenges. As well as excelling at combat sports including taekwondo, boxing and kickboxing, the Nigerian serves her nation in her day job as a police corporal.
The 26-year-old, who turned to mixed martial arts (MMA) as a reluctant stand-in fighter in 2023, is about to become a part of history when the Professional Fighters League (PFL) holds its first show in Africa in Cape Town on Saturday.
Ukah will join the likes of hugely popular 2024 European flyweight champion Dakota Ditcheva and middleweight titlist Johnny Eblen on the bill of one of the most high-profile MMA events ever to be held on the continent.
"I feel like a queen and I feel good about being the first African female fighter signed by the PFL," Ukah told BBC Sport Africa.
"There is something they see in me that made them need to call me into the team."
Making a statement for Nigeria
Five years before starting out in MMA, Ukah was inspired to join the Nigeria Police Force by figures including long jumper Chioma Ajunwa, who was herself an officer and won the country's first ever Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
All six of her MMA bouts have resulted in wins since Ukah stepped into the unknown after a request by Henry George - now the president of the Nigeria Mixed Martial Arts Federation - to replace an unavailable fighter on a card in Cameroon in April 2023.
She earned her first knockout in DR Congo last June and is now ready to face home fighter Ceileigh Niedermayr in a strawweight showdown at the Grand Arena.
"It means a lot to me," Ukah said of her unbeaten record.
"It's something joyful to maintain - it makes me so happy and I want to add more.
"She [Niedermayr] is also a strong fighter with a good record. The crowd are going to be for her, but I don't care because I use people's fans to motivate myself."
George knows Ukah's importance as a role model for female fighters and believes her PFL debut represents a "great statement" about the development of MMA in Nigeria.
"This means so much to us," he said.
"This will solidify her skills, justify all her sacrifices and confirm her that she belongs at the top.
"It will open doors for bigger opportunities for her to chase her goals in life and give her more recognition in her job."
'Opportunity for fighters is right here'
Founded in the US in 2017, the PFL already has circuits in America and Europe alongside a combined Middle East and North Africa league.
Cameroon-born MMA icon Francis Ngannou was made chairman of PFL Africa when it was introduced last year, having joined the promotion after leaving the UFC, where he had been heavyweight champion.
The PFL is known for its tournament format, giving fighters the chance to advance through regular season, play-offs and championship stages in pursuit of reaching a final for titles.
"The opportunity for fighters is right here in Africa - to train, live and compete here on the biggest global scale that the continent has ever seen in terms of combat sports," said Loren Mack, the promotion's senior vice president.
"PFL Africa's commitment to the continent of Africa is certainly the biggest commitment for combat sport that Africa has ever seen."
Speaking to BBC Sport Africa when the plans were first announced, PFL chief executive Peter Murray said the promotion would invest in athlete development, coaching and training spaces under Ngannou's leadership.
South Africa-born Frans Mlambo - who is on the card in Cape Town and a long-time sparring partner of two-time UFC champion Conor McGregor - added that the talent waiting to be discovered in the country is "unbelievable".
The inaugural PFL Africa tournament will feature 24 fighters from 14 African countries, with their second event taking place in Johannesburg on 9 August.
"The biggest challenges MMA fighters face in Africa are facilities, equipment and sponsors," Ukah explained.
"PFL has come into the picture. It means a lot to me because now is when I start my career.
"It's a good platform for me to showcase my talent.
Inspiring the next generation
Ukah, who has also played football and competed as a track and field athlete, says both her law enforcement and sporting roles can be "quite difficult".
"I thank God for giving me the strength to manage both, because it helps [me] at difficult times," she reflects, adding that she was "destined" to be a fighter.
"My career as an elite MMA athlete has really helped me in the police in aspects of discipline, self-control.
"It also [makes] me smart in my job. Both align and give me good ways to excel."
She will join Manchester's Ditcheva, who has a perfect 14-fight record, for a striking workshop for women during fight week, with the PFL inviting the public to learn skills from a pair who "represent the pinnacle of women's MMA".
Ukah wants to own a gym and train others, with a particular ambition to teach women the value and discipline of combat sports.
"What inspired me to have a career in combat sports is how women [are] being treated in society and how women's voices are not heard," she explained.
"I'm using my platform to inspire women to be able to train for self-defence [and] defend themselves in society.
"I believe, with my ability, I could inspire young women to do more than they expected."