Fabian Edwards believes whomever gets his hand raised in Saturday night’s PFL main event between him and former light heavyweight tournament winner Impa Kasanganay will go on to dominate the middleweight bracket.
Yet at one point, he didn’t think the fight was going to happen at all.
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Having put his body and mind through the punishment of a fight camp, and with his mother’s Sweet’s Kitchen being one of the best Caribbean food restaurants in the Birmingham, England, region, one could imagine where his priorities might lay as soon as he was told the bout was off.
“To be honest, that’s what happened,” said Edwards, 32, from Orlando, Florida, the location of this weekend’s PFL tournament openers for middleweights and lightweights.
“They told me 100 percent the fight is off, so straightaway I was like, ‘I’m going down to my mum’s shop.’ Luckily, it was only one meal so I didn’t do too much damage. My manager sorted out the visa situation eventually, so we’re all good now.”
Fabian Edwards celebrates after defeating Aaron Jeffery in their middleweight bout during the Bellator Champions Series at the SSE Arena in Belfast last year. (Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
(David Fitzgerald via Getty Images)
Like his older brother, former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, the younger of the celebrated Birmingham brothers turned his life around through mixed martial arts. Despite him previously competing in the U.S., each time he applies for a new visa, a scrap with the law from his teenage years has often hindered his entry to the U.S.
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“It’s been annoying for sure. I’ve been trying to move on from all the stuff for years and years now, it’s just one of those things that comes back to haunt me,” Fabian said. “Hopefully, this will be the end of it now. I’ve fought in the U.S. before, so I didn’t think it would be an issue. At least we got it sorted and the fight is still on.”
One of the marquee signings for Bellator, some European fans were surprised to see the bookmakers have Edwards as a +124 underdog for his upcoming clash. With Kasanganay returning to middleweight, Edwards is confident Kasanganay is in for a rude awakening.
“Maybe they are sleeping on me, but I only worry about how I see it in my head,” Edwards said. “I know he was the 2023 tournament winner at light heavyweight, but I really think that most of the light heavyweight guys are s***. Honestly, that’s how I feel. I think he’s gonna be facing a lot tougher guys at middleweight.”
Despite his evaluation of the 205-pounders, he does anticipate the winner of this weekend’s main event will go on to win the tournament.
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“I think whoever wins the fight will win it all, I think everyone in the bracket will know that’s a very strong probability, too,” Edwards said. “That’s why I wanted this fight. They must have been listening to me because that’s always been the one I’ve wanted.
“It really suits me stylistically. He reaches and he always comes forward. Someone with that kind of style is always presenting themselves to be knocked out, and I think I’ll take my opportunity when it comes. I’m just the sharper fighter.”
The perennial Bellator title contender likes the activity that comes with the tournament format. To add to that, he holds victories over two of the other fighters in the bracket — Mike Shipman and Aaron Jeffery — which will only bolster his confidence.
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“To be honest, I wouldn’t mind having a rematch with some of those guys to completely put those situations to bed,” Edwards said. “I do think that Impa is the toughest guy in the tournament, though, so getting through him will set the tone for everyone else.”
While Edwards has been accustomed to fighting in front of vocal European audiences, he got a chance to get the feel for the Universal Studios venue during Team Renegade teammate Jake Hadley’s recent win in the bantamweight bracket.
He’s happy with his current situation, but admits the discontent among some Bellator champions due to inactivity is concerning.
“I’m definitely happy with my situation at the moment, but seeing the champions complain about not getting fights is worrying, I won’t pretend that it’s not,” Edwards said. “All I can do is hope that they sort out whatever they need to sort out as soon as possible.”
