Johnny Eblen vs Impa Kasanganay
One of the most inspiring stories of 2023 was Impa Kasanganay’s journey from being on the receiving end of the most spectacular viral knockout in MMA history to winning a million dollars as PFL light-heavyweight champion. Despite losing two of his next three after losing to Joaquin Buckley, Kasanganay bounced back with a six-fight winning streak that took him from XMMA, to the PFL Challenger Series, to the regular season, playoffs, and finally winning a PFL championship against Josh Silveira. All of this happened despite being undersized for 205-lbs.
With his four finishes in that span, including his first three KOs as a pro, Impa has proven to be exciting to boot, which should pair well with Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen, who many believe may be the best 185-lber in the world. His mix of domineering wrestling, skilled striking, and knockout power carried him to an undefeated record. With three title wins in his back pocket, including stellar wins over legend Gegard Mousasi and Fabian Edwards, brother of UFC champ Leon, Eblen looks to stamp his spot as the best middleweight alive, especially now that Israel Adesanya has fallen from his place on top.
