PFL News & FeaturesHomegrown ‘Psychopath’ Seeks Traction at 2025 PFL Africa 2
A homegrown talent will look to make his mark in the
Professional Fighters League when South Africa native Elbert
Lukas Steyn meets Abderrahman
Errachidy in a
2025 PFL Africa 2 catchweight bout on Saturday at Big Top Arena
in Johannesburg. Steyn, the only South African on the card,
welcomes the opportunity at this early stage of his career.
“I always knew I’d make it to the big stage, but I never knew it would be locally,” he told Sherdog.com. “Making it to this level and then it being in South Africa, that’s a dream come true. I love the pressure. I love the crowd. I know it’s going to be electrifying. I expect a lot of fans to be there. They’re going to be electric, and I expect fireworks. It’s going to be motivation on top of motivation for me in this fight.”
The PFL energized the region with its continental debut in Cape
Town, South Africa, on July 19. However, the 28-year-old Steyn had
his eyes on the promotion long before it broke ground in his
backyard.
“The first time I saw PFL was prior to them coming to South Africa, so I knew they were top tier in the way they handled everything,” he said. “From handling the athletes [to] the promotion work, there’s levels to the game, and the PFL as an organization are definitely one of the top. They’re on their way to surpassing the others. I used to only think about the UFC, but then I realized the PFL is rising fast, and the way I see them work, they’re going to be the future of the sport. Then [with the company] coming to South Africa, it amplified my motivation, my drive and my discipline.”
“There’s a saying here about how to eat an elephant,” Steyn said. “You have to take it bite by bite. You can’t just swallow the whole thing. You have to take a bite and chew what you bite off first. It’s a process. The goal for me is to take the PFL belt, not just the PFL Africa belt but the PFL global belt. I will do it. You can quote my words. It’s going to happen. How long will it take? That’s going to depend on the opportunities and the way the God in heaven plans my story out to be. I’ll do everything in my power to make it as soon as possible. I want the PFL belt, but I’m going one step at a time.”
Steyn enters his PFL debut with a perfect 3-0 record, having nailed down each of his three victories by submission inside one round. He has learned to lean into his love for everything associated with being a professional prizefighter and hopes the PFL takes note.
“I would like them to see how much I enjoy this entire process,” Steyn said. “I know you have to be a bit of a psychopath to have a smile on your face while someone is punching you, smiling while you’re walking out [and] knowing you’re going to get in a fight. For the people to see how much I enjoy this all, that’s what I’m hoping they all see about me. Inside the SmartCage, you can expect dominance. I will have a strategic plan. I’ll be playing chess, and he’ll be playing checkers.”
“I always knew I’d make it to the big stage, but I never knew it would be locally,” he told Sherdog.com. “Making it to this level and then it being in South Africa, that’s a dream come true. I love the pressure. I love the crowd. I know it’s going to be electrifying. I expect a lot of fans to be there. They’re going to be electric, and I expect fireworks. It’s going to be motivation on top of motivation for me in this fight.”
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“The first time I saw PFL was prior to them coming to South Africa, so I knew they were top tier in the way they handled everything,” he said. “From handling the athletes [to] the promotion work, there’s levels to the game, and the PFL as an organization are definitely one of the top. They’re on their way to surpassing the others. I used to only think about the UFC, but then I realized the PFL is rising fast, and the way I see them work, they’re going to be the future of the sport. Then [with the company] coming to South Africa, it amplified my motivation, my drive and my discipline.”
Steyn has adopted a methodical approach for PFL Africa. It begins
with his showdown with Errachidy, a once-beaten 24-year-old
Moroccan who has posted all four of his wins by first-round
technical knockout.
“There’s a saying here about how to eat an elephant,” Steyn said. “You have to take it bite by bite. You can’t just swallow the whole thing. You have to take a bite and chew what you bite off first. It’s a process. The goal for me is to take the PFL belt, not just the PFL Africa belt but the PFL global belt. I will do it. You can quote my words. It’s going to happen. How long will it take? That’s going to depend on the opportunities and the way the God in heaven plans my story out to be. I’ll do everything in my power to make it as soon as possible. I want the PFL belt, but I’m going one step at a time.”
Steyn enters his PFL debut with a perfect 3-0 record, having nailed down each of his three victories by submission inside one round. He has learned to lean into his love for everything associated with being a professional prizefighter and hopes the PFL takes note.
“I would like them to see how much I enjoy this entire process,” Steyn said. “I know you have to be a bit of a psychopath to have a smile on your face while someone is punching you, smiling while you’re walking out [and] knowing you’re going to get in a fight. For the people to see how much I enjoy this all, that’s what I’m hoping they all see about me. Inside the SmartCage, you can expect dominance. I will have a strategic plan. I’ll be playing chess, and he’ll be playing checkers.”
⚖️ Official #PFLJoburg Weigh In Result:
— PFL Africa (@PFLAfrica) August 8, 2025
🇿🇦 Elbert Steyn - 148lbs*
🇲🇦 Abderahman Errachidy - 148lbs*
*With both Steyn and Errachidy missing the 146lbs featherweight limit, Steyn vs. Errachidy now becomes a catchweight showcase bout.
LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN 🎟️… pic.twitter.com/BoVFHUtT7G
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