Fabian Edwards delivered a highlight-reel moment at the Professional Fighters League (PFL) Middleweight Tournament Final, knocking out Dalton Rosta with a vicious head kick to claim the title and a USD 500,000 prize in Hollywood, Florida. The finish, a perfectly-timed left high kick, mirrored the iconic strike used by his older brother Leon Edwards to dethrone Kamaru Usman in 2022.
With Leon watching from cageside, Fabian’s knockout carried extra emotional weight. “I told my brother I’d try that shot,” he said. “I land it all the time in the gym, and it worked beautifully tonight.”
Redemption After Bellator Setbacks
The victory marks a massive turnaround for the 32-year-old Birmingham native, who previously lost two middleweight title fights in Bellator to Johnny Eblen. Viewing this PFL final as his personal world title bout, Edwards battled through adversity overcoming takedowns and a flurry of punches from Rosta in the early rounds before finding the finish in the third.
Following wins over Impa Kasanganay and Josh Silveira earlier this year, Edwards had regained form and entered the final with momentum. After the knockout, overwhelmed with emotion, he fell to the canvas in tears, saying, “I’ve worked so hard.”
Britain’s Golden Run in the PFL
Fabian’s triumph comes just a week after Alfie Davis won the lightweight tournament, continuing a surge of British success in the PFL. He now joins Brendan Loughnane (featherweight, 2022) and Dakota Ditcheva (women’s flyweight, 2024) as UK fighters to lift PFL gold.
Title Unification Fight Looms
Post-fight, Edwards squared off with PFL middleweight champion Costello van Steenis, who defeated Eblen last month. The PFL has confirmed that Edwards and Van Steenis will meet later this year to unify the titles a high-stakes clash now eagerly awaited.
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Karan Singh Rathod is a dedicated sports journalist known for his sharp attention to detail and flair for storytelling. With over a year of experience in writing and editorial work, he blends thorough research with compelling narratives to deliver engaging sports content. A passionate follower of football and cricket, he starts his mornings with a newspaper to stay updated with sports, fashion, and current affairs. Outside of journalism, Karan enjoys traveling and discovering new destinations.
