Impa Kasanganay secured his place in the 2023 PFL Light Heavyweight Season through the Challenger Series on March 2023. Kasanganay clinched the promotion’s 205-pound Season Championship with a unanimous decision victory over Joshua Silveira at the PFL World Championship event in Washington, D.C., on November 24.
Impa was once subjected to one of the most memorable knockouts in UFC history. Kasanganay can now proudly claim the title of world champion.
Although he experienced a 2-2 record in the UFC, including a devastating knockout by Joaquin Buckley in October 2020. Impa has gone undefeated at 6-0 since his last loss at Eagle FC, which he faced after parting ways with UFC.
Kasanganay’s journey to the championship involved victories against Cory Hendricks, Tim Caron, and Marthin Hamlet, ultimately earning him the opportunity to face Silveira, which he capitalized on with an impressive performance.
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His win over Josh Silveira at the PFL World Championship event has also won him a massive $1 million. However, for many UFC fans, this win means nothing. As they feel Kasanganay’s win only goes on to show the difference in talent and skills between the UFC and other MMA promotions.
This is because Impa was handed one of the most brutal knockout losses in the UFC by Buckley, who does not even find himself in the UFC fighter rankings. “Goes to show the talent the UFC roster has compared to these other promotions,” wrote a fan on Instagram.
Another fan commented, “Proves the talent gap. Scrub in the UFC is a million-dollar champ in the PFL”. However, one fan found a note of positivity for the PFL champion: “He makes more than Buckley. That KO saved his career, tbh. Gods plan”.
Whatever it may be, Impa Kasanganay would be a happy man after what he was able to achieve on November 24.
Impa Kasanganay thanks the UFC for cutting him
Impa Kasanganay gained widespread attention early in his fighting journey but for less favorable reasons. In his second UFC fight three years ago, Kasanganay found himself on the unfortunate side of one of the most spectacular and brutal knockouts in UFC history.
The formidable striker Joaquin Buckley became an internet sensation when, in a jaw-dropping moment, Kasanganay intercepted one of his leg kicks, and Buckley responded by executing a midair spin to deliver a knockout strike with the opposite leg.
Shortly after suffering a severe knockout, Kasanganay was let go from the UFC. He subsequently experienced a defeat in his inaugural bout outside the organization at an Eagle FC event. From an external perspective, his career appeared to be in a bleak situation. However, he then went on to win six consecutive fights, including the PFL Light Heavyweight Championship title fight.
“I remember being in the Budlight room in Atlanta, and I looked at my coach and said, ‘Thank God UFC cut me,’” said Impa Kasanganay. Indeed, there were greater things planned for the PFL Light Heavyweight Champion after he bid adieu to the world’s biggest MMA promotion.