Fabian Edwards recently experienced a significant emotional rollercoaster. He was initially notified that he was being removed from the upcoming PFL middleweight tournament but ultimately had his position reinstated, securing a fight against Impa Kasanganay for Friday.
The issue stemmed from a visa problem preventing the British fighter from traveling to the United States, the location of the fights. Edwards credits his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, with successfully resolving the situation. While admitting the ordeal was a distraction, Edwards stated it didn`t deter him from staying prepared for his scheduled bout.
Speaking about the experience, Edwards shared, “I got the call on a Sunday saying that I`m out. It was some visa issue… just the time that it took for my visa to come back wasn`t going to be back in time.” He praised his manager`s efforts, saying, “My manager… went and did his thing and sorted it out. The fact that he had to pull on his contracts to do that, I appreciate that a lot. It`s nice to have someone like that in your corner to sort it out. I`m grateful.”
He added that the issue was resolved relatively quickly, within a few days, but it remained a background concern throughout his training camp. Despite the uncertainty, he focused on staying prepared: “Regardless of whether I was going to fight or not, I had to make sure I was training properly and I done that.”
Given the limited spots in an eight-person tournament, Edwards is thankful he regained his position, especially as it allows him the opportunity to compete up to three times over the next few months.
Expressing his relief, Edwards stated, “I`m happy… To be able to have the opportunity to go in there and do that, especially when last week or whatever it was, I thought it was taken away from me. I was happy to be back in.” He reiterated his desire for frequent fights, adding, “I`ve always said I want a shitload of fights and I get my opportunity to do that.”
While Edwards is content with his immediate fighting schedule, many other fighters on the PFL roster are not in the same fortunate position.
His former opponent, Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen, is among several fighters who have publicly complained about extended periods without fights and a lack of communication from the PFL regarding their next appearances.
Eblen, whose most recent bout was against Edwards in October 2024, posted in February, “Still waiting on PFL for some fight news… Haven`t heard a peep from Donn [Davis] or the PFL team. What`s going on, guys?”
Despite their past rivalry, Edwards admits he feels empathy for his former opponent and other champions like Corey Anderson and Patchy Mix, who have also voiced concerns about lengthy layoffs.
Describing the situation for inactive fighters, Edwards was blunt: “It`s shit. You know what I mean? There`s no other way to say about it. It`s shit.” He believes PFL needs to address this issue, acknowledging it could easily happen to him. He feels a sense of solidarity with these fighters, stating, “This is how we make our earning, this is what we put all our time and effort into.”
He finds the situation of fighters being sidelined “for a year or over a year” to be “craziness” and hopes PFL can resolve whatever issues are causing the inactivity.
Although PFL plans to promote several “champion” series events in 2025, potentially starting in early summer, the limited number of slots available means many athletes face significant uncertainty about when, or even if, they will compete.
Edwards fully understands the frustration Eblen and other fighters are experiencing, particularly given the high level of uncertainty surrounding their professional futures.
He highlighted the inherent risks fighters take: “We`re going out there and putting our health on the line… The fact that fighters get the worst end of the stick, it`s shitty. But this is what we choose.”
Despite their two previous encounters, Edwards stated he holds no ill will towards Eblen. In fact, he hopes the Bellator champion gets active again so a third fight between them could potentially happen one day.
While unsure if a trilogy fight is truly possible, Edwards is focused on doing his part by winning the PFL middleweight tournament and hopes Eblen is open to the idea as well.
Regarding Eblen and other fighters, Edwards said, “I hope they fight him soon. I hope they fight all the guys soon. This is how we make our living. This is what we sacrifice everything for. Hopefully, they sort everything out.”
Looking ahead to his own path, he confirmed, “But yeah, I get through the tournament, and I will be eyeing up that third fight. I will be looking for that third fight.”
Duncan Priestley