Diesel AK Blog

Fighter Profile: Impa Kasanganay

Impa Kasanganay: PFL middleweight contender — record, athleticism and the Eblen rematch.

Fighters13 July 2026

Background

American fighter born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and raised in North Carolina, competing at middleweight after winning the 2023 PFL light heavyweight tournament. His professional record is 20-8.

Career timeline

Won the 2023 PFL light heavyweight world tournament, including a knockout of Josh Silveira in the final.
Lost a champion-versus-champion bout to Johnny Eblen by split decision in February 2024 in Riyadh.
Was knocked out in 58 seconds by Dovlet Yagshimuradov.
Opened 2026 with a first-round knockout of Dalton Rosta in the co-main event of PFL Pittsburgh in March.
Lost the PFL interim middleweight title fight to Johnny Eblen at PFL Austin on 18 July 2026, stopped by TKO at 2:39 of round three after a competitive opening two rounds.

Fight craft

Kasanganay is an explosive athlete with genuine one-punch power and the physicality to compete a division above middleweight. He starts fast, and when the finish is there he takes it. The pattern in his losses is consistency rather than capability: he can be caught early himself, and in longer fights his output has tended to fall away just as opponents find their range — which is exactly how the Eblen rematch turned in round three.

In the modern MMA landscape

Our wider MMA analysis lists Kasanganay at 20-6 and frames the Eblen rematch as a critical upcoming bout. Both need updating: he is 20-8, and the rematch was fought and lost by third-round stoppage.

Return to What the Modern MMA Game Demands.

Sources

Record and competitive status checked 1 August 2026.