Impa Kasanganay came, saw, and conquered in 2023, but that doesn’t change anything as he looks to capture a second straight PFL light heavyweight title this year.
“It doesn’t matter to me in the sense that I’ve done it before, because I’m going to go do it again,” Kasanganay (17-4) told Cageside Press in a recent interview. “If I never was in PFL last year, if this was my first season, my focus would be, go claim this title, be the champion that I know that I am.”
Kasanganay asked as many champions as he could, including Kamaru Usman and Robbie Lawler, how they did it for so long, and “what was the difference between having the title and not?”
Usman in particular pointed out that after becoming champion, you realize that the work you did to get there was worth it. “Now you know that what you’ve done before works. You make the adjustments, you do it better, but you also can have fun doing it, because you don’t overstress certain moments, but you don’t under-stress anything.”
In a semifinal fight at PFL Hollywood this Friday, Kasanganay finds himself in a rematch with Josh Silveira, the man he beat for gold last November. Silveira has predicted a finish this time around. Kasanganay’s response was to keep things close to the chest.
“Keep your plans dark and impenetrable. When you strike, you strike like lightning. That’s from Sun Tzu’s Art of War,” quoted Kasanganay. “I think people talk to much, people talk way too much. At our first fight, he had a lot to say. He had a lot to say, and I absolutely love Josh, respect Josh, don’t get me wrong, we’ve talked about working together doing something for human trafficking, and combating that, coming together on that. I respect him.”
That said, Kasaganay added that “also too I’ll say this: I love Jacob Nedoh too but I fought him last fight and my goal was to kill him. So you guys are coming for finishes; people always have something to say or relay these messages. I have nothing to say, besides as I talk to you, August 16 I’m going to get my hand raised. I’m planning this victory. Take him out. That’s it. People always have to open their mouth so much, but I’ll shut them up. Everyone’s got a plan until they get smacked in the mouth.”
Watch our full interview with PFL Hollywood headliner Impa Kasanganay above.
