Impa Kasanganay has already updated his Instagram bio to ‘world champion’ in 2026 even before he enters the PFL cage on July 18 to rematch Johnny Eblen for the interim middleweight title in Austin, Texas, but he guarantees there’s nothing arrogant or overconfident about it.
Kasanganay fought Eblen the first time in 2024, his first bout since winning the 2023 PFL season with an impressive 5-0 run that year, but came up short in a split decision. This time, as he enters the PFL Austin main event on a two-fight
finishing streak, Kasanganay sees his fighting career as inspiration to the world.
“When I put that in the bio, it’s not just like for people, but it’s also just for God,” Kasanganay told MMA Fighting. “I’m not doing it for myself. I’m not doing it for, ‘Oh, bow down to me.’ No, it’s more like I set a goal and I’m gonna go get it. I think sometimes in the world we, some people are too timid and too shy about what they’re pursuing in life, versus them going, ‘Hey, like this is what I’m going for. I’m gonna go get it and do it.’ Why else would you do this if you weren’t here to be champion?”
“If you looked in ’23, I did the same thing. If you look at my captions and everything. I’m a Christian and I trust Jesus. In my life, I think this is the platform that where God’s called me to be. Meet people in a dark place. I think MMA is a dark world. And when you can speak life into yourself, like people who are addicted, people who have been raped, people who’ve been through some challenging times, they can look at the best that’s yet to come and speak it into existence. I’m PFL champion. I’m gonna claim that title. I’m gonna unify it. And this is a step in the process.
“I don’t look at it like it’s God favors, God loves me more than this person. I believe in favor, I believe in a gift, but I also believe it’s like when you set a goal for yourself, why wouldn’t you go for it? And in 2023, I was right, I’m a champion. I got called into the tournament and I did my job. Same here. I’ll do the same thing. I’ll claim this victory and I move forward, and that’s it.”
PFL Austin was originally expected to be headlined by Eblen vs. Costello van Steenis for the undisputed title, but the champion was forced out after suffering an injury in camp. Even though some see an interim belt as nothing more than a ticket to the “real” championship, Kasanganay looks it from a different angle.
“I think that’s a bad way to look at it,” Kasanganay said. “I think the way to look at the interim belt is saying like, ‘Yeah, you’re a champion.’ Let’s say Costello decides to retire. Who’s the champion now? Now you go do what you need to do. It’s a credit to the work that you’ve put in. I don’t know, I just believe having gratitude and just being grateful for what God’s given me and living the life that I get to live. It’s really cool. It’s a blessing that I get to fight in the interim title fight. I claim this victory and then when they do unify the belt. Whether it’s before the end of the year or next year, I’ll be ready to go unify that too. I don’t think that you gain anything from discrediting what you do. I get the mindset like, ‘Okay, you want the full title,’ but it’s on the path that God’s given me. Sometimes you gotta take the long way to get to where God’s getting you. And the PFL has been such a blessing to me, so I’m not gonna disrespect what it is for me. I’m gonna claim this victory and move forward.”
Kasanganay won 10 of 13 bouts under the PFL banner after a short 2-2 run in the UFC in 2020-21, and sees PFL’s middleweight class on par with those competing in the octagon. Sean Strickland recently posted a video on social media alongside Eblen, saying he would win the PFL title and then make his way to the UFC to eventually fight him for UFC gold.
For Kasanganay, “right now the PFL’s division at middleweight is the top middleweight division in world” and beating Eblen “just shows I’m the top middleweight in the world.”
“Doesn’t matter if you’re in UFC or the PFL,” Kasanganay said. “I respect the UFC. I always tell people my validation, the gift that God’s given me to fight is not based on the PFL or the UFC. If in the UFC, I’m champion there. If I’m in the PFL, I’m champion here. And it’s only a matter of time, right? It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. And come July 18th, I’ll claim my victory.”
“And I respect Sean Strickland,” he continued. “I fought one of his guys that he trains with and he was just very complimentary, Sean Strickland for his guys, but that’s not what I see validation from, you know? And July 18th, when I claim that victory, I think the MMA world will see what it is and I’ll move forward. I have a job to do, claim victory and then take out Costello and then keep moving forward, so I’m stoked.”
The first Kasanganay vs. Eblen clash was scheduled for three rounds and ended in a split decision, but this time they have two extra rounds in case it’s needed.
“I expect me to dominate from the beginning to the end and get the finish, you know? Claim the victory,” Kasanganay said. “It’s not one those things like… When I fought him, yeah, Johnny’s an excellent fighter and I really respect him. I’ve definitely refined and gotten better. I’m better than what I was then and I’m continuing to grow. I just trust God. I’m seeing things better and I’m in a better place in life. I’m at peace and come July 18th, I’ll claim that victory, get that finished and just move forward.”
Kasanganay and Eblen recently met during PFL San Diego and were interviewed cageside, where Kasanganay said he would knock him out this time around.
“I don’t discredit Johnny, but I don’t look down upon him,” Kasanganay said. “We were talking all weekend, I saw him out there in San Diego, but I have job to do. And when I claim that victory, it’ll be, ‘Okay, cool, we did that.’ I’m not like some like, ‘Oh, I’m manifesting from like a worldly perspective.’ I’m just been trusting God and telling him why he’s called me to be. And then I claim that victory. That’s what I said, I’ll finish him and I’m gonna do it and move forward. When you finish somebody, there’s no questions asked. And that’s what you always do is aim for, strive for, and move forward for, so that’s what I’m gonna do.”
