Kenya’s Felista Muthoni Mugo defeated Uganda’s Annet Kiiza by unanimous decision in the strawweight category during her debut in the Professional Fighters League Africa event on Friday evening at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.
Speaking earlier from her training camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of the bout, Mugo told Radio Generation that her ambitions remain clear — to rise to the top of the sport.
“I am not where I started,” Mugo said in a phone interview.
“My dream is to compete with the best in the world, where champions like Francis Ngannou fight, in countries like the USA and Saudi Arabia. I am determined to make it happen, and this fight against Kiiza is my stepping stone,” she added.
Heading into the bout with a 5-2-1 record, Mugo delivered a strong performance in the three-round contest against Kiiza, who came in with a 3-1 record. Mugo dominated the opening round on points, before Kiiza mounted a strong response in the second. However, Mugo’s wrestling proved decisive, helping her edge the round.
The third round was tightly contested, with both fighters pushing hard. Mugo, 26, used her experience to pin Kiiza, 25, against the fence in the closing stages, landing a series of strikes and securing control on the ground as time ran out.
The opening bout of the card saw judges score in Mugo’s favour, with all three awarding her the win. The official result confirmed Mugo as the winner by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26).
The victory marks a historic debut for Mugo as Kenya’s first female fighter in the PFL Africa Women’s Strawweight division. Her achievement is expected to boost the growth of MMA in Kenya and spark calls for greater investment in indoor sporting facilities to support emerging talent.
