Impa Kasanganay has already updated his Instagram bio to \u2018world champion\u2019 in 2026 even before he enters the PFL cage on July 18 to rematch Johnny Eblen for the interim middleweight title in Austin, Texas, but he guarantees there\u2019s nothing arrogant or overconfident about it.<\/p>\n
Kasanganay fought Eblen the first time in 2024, his first bout since winning the 2023 PFL season with an impressive 5-0 run that year, but came up short in a split decision. This time, as he enters the PFL Austin main event on a two-fight finishing streak, Kasanganay sees his fighting career as inspiration to the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I put that in the bio, it\u2019s not just like for people, but it\u2019s also just for God,\u201d Kasanganay told MMA Fighting. \u201cI\u2019m not doing it for myself. I\u2019m not doing it for, \u2018Oh, bow down to me.\u2019 No, it\u2019s more like I set a goal and I\u2019m gonna go get it. I think sometimes in the world we, some people are too timid and too shy about what they\u2019re pursuing in life, versus them going, \u2018Hey, like this is what I\u2019m going for. I\u2019m gonna go get it and do it.\u2019 Why else would you do this if you weren\u2019t here to be champion?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you looked in \u201823, I did the same thing. If you look at my captions and everything. I\u2019m a Christian and I trust Jesus. In my life, I think this is the platform that where God\u2019s called me to be. Meet people in a dark place. I think MMA is a dark world. And when you can speak life into yourself, like people who are addicted, people who have been raped, people who\u2019ve been through some challenging times, they can look at the best that\u2019s yet to come and speak it into existence. I\u2019m PFL champion. I\u2019m gonna claim that title. I\u2019m gonna unify it. And this is a step in the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t look at it like it\u2019s God favors, God loves me more than this person. I believe in favor, I believe in a gift, but I also believe it\u2019s like when you set a goal for yourself, why wouldn\u2019t you go for it? And in 2023, I was right, I\u2019m a champion. I got called into the tournament and I did my job. Same here. I\u2019ll do the same thing. I\u2019ll claim this victory and I move forward, and that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n
PFL Austin was originally expected to be headlined by Eblen vs. Costello van Steenis for the undisputed title, but the champion was forced out after suffering an injury in camp. Even though some see an interim belt as nothing more than a ticket to the \u201creal\u201d championship, Kasanganay looks it from a different angle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s a bad way to look at it,\u201d Kasanganay said. \u201cI think the way to look at the interim belt is saying like, \u2018Yeah, you\u2019re a champion.\u2019 Let\u2019s say Costello decides to retire. Who\u2019s the champion now? Now you go do what you need to do. It\u2019s a credit to the work that you\u2019ve put in. I don\u2019t know, I just believe having gratitude and just being grateful for what God\u2019s given me and living the life that I get to live. It\u2019s really cool. It\u2019s a blessing that I get to fight in the interim title fight. I claim this victory and then when they do unify the belt. Whether it\u2019s before the end of the year or next year, I\u2019ll be ready to go unify that too. I don\u2019t think that you gain anything from discrediting what you do. I get the mindset like, \u2018Okay, you want the full title,\u2019 but it\u2019s on the path that God\u2019s given me. Sometimes you gotta take the long way to get to where God\u2019s getting you. And the PFL has been such a blessing to me, so I\u2019m not gonna disrespect what it is for me. I\u2019m gonna claim this victory and move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n