Impa Kasanganay became PFL’s light-heavyweight tournament champion on Friday night courtesy of a unanimous decision victory over Josh Silveira, while also proving Dana White right four years after the UFC boss predicted he’d be a future champ.
Kasanganay first appeared on White’s radar back in 2019 on the Contender Series when he beat Kailan Hill by unanimous decision. Despite that, White didn’t sign him, but did predict that he would go on to big things.
“Impa is 5-0 he is a young guy, 25-years-old and a stud athlete,” White said after the fight. “Hill is too, both of these guys are studs and I just think that tonight’s pressure and experience was really big for this kid. He needs more experience, I’m telling you right now whatever organisation signs this kid, he is the future.
“I believe this kid is going to be in the top-five and potentially a world champion one day. I can’t bring this guy into the UFC right now, he will get hurt here. He is not ready for this. I love him and he will be here one day, tonight was a big night for him and I’m sure he felt the pressure but he will be back.”
Technically, multiple points White made proved to be true in the long run, although his basic premise that Kasanganay would have to go and fight for other promotions to gain more experience wasn’t.
Instead, Kasanganay’s next fight was actually back on the Contender Series a year later, and after earning another unanimous decision victory over Anthony Adams, White decided to sign him.
However, while Kasanganay won in his UFC debut in 2020, White’s prediction a year earlier that he’d get hurt in the UFC did come true in his next fight when he went up against Joaquin Buckley and became the victim of a a brutal spinning back kick knockout that would become one of the most viral highlight-reel finishes in the history of the promotion.
After rebounding with a submission win but then suffering a 1st round TKO loss, Kasanganay would be released from the UFC.
His story was far from over though and he’d eventually find his way to the PFL, where a four-fight winning streak led him to this weekend’s 205lb tournament final, and a victory that will now change his life thanks to the $1 million prize money.
“I’m so grateful for everything, my dad came to this country with $16 in his pocket and now I get to share this $1million with him,” Kasanganay said after his win.
“Thank god the UFC cut me so I could come to PFL and dominate. You can be sleeping in your car one day and then be world champion the next.”
