PFL 3 ‘World Tournament’ preview and predictions | Kasanganay vs. Edwards

Professional Fighters League (PFL) returns tomorrow night (Fri. April 18, 2025) as the 2025 World Tournament continues in Orlando, Fla., which will feature the Middleweight and Lightweight contenders looking to inch closer to the final and the potential $500,000 prize at the end of the combat rainbow.

Headlining the event will be a 185-pound bout between Impa Kasanganay taking on Fabian Edwards. In the co-main event, Sadibou Sy will battle Dalton Rosta, while Gadzhi Rabadanov takes on Marc Diakiese in 155-pound action.

Let’s take a closer look at the PFL 3 main card below.

185 lbs.: Impa Kasanganay (18-5) vs. Fabian Edwards (13-4)

Impa Kasanganay won the 2023 PFL Light Heavyweight Tournament by defeating Josh Silveira via unanimous decision to extend his win streak to six in a row. In his following fight, he lost to former Bellator Middleweight champion, Johnny Eblen. After racking up three straight wins before running into Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov, who knocked him out in the very first round of the 2024 PFL 205-pound tournament, Kasanganay is back once again in another tourney looking to cash in big. His first test will be a tough one as he has been paired up against Fabian Edwards, who is hungry to get back into the win column following his recent defeat against the aforementioned Johnny Eblen, his second loss to the ex-champ. This is a pretty even matchup on paper. While Kasanganay may have a slight advantage on the feet, Edwards may be a tad bit better when it comes to grappling. Still, it’s not like either man is a wizard in either department, so it’s a tossup when it comes to predicting who will get the win here. Either way, it should be a competitive one.

Prediction: Kasanganay via third-round TKO

155 lbs.: Gadzhi Rabadanov (24-4-2) vs. Marc Diakiese (18-7)

Like Kasanganay, Rabadanov won the tournament in the Lightweight division in 2024, defeating Brent Primus via knockout. That was the cherry on top of a stellar run that increased his win streak to 10 straight. Training with Team Khabib at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), Rabadanov has the insane grappling skills that come with sharing mat time with the likes of Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov and the rest of the talented crew. But Rabadanov has nice hands, as well, and he can bang with the best of them if need be. He has eight wins by knockout and five via submission, so he can take the fight anywhere and dominate. That means the Diakiese will have to be on his “A” game if he wants to pull off the upset. Diakiese has experience on his side, though, having competed for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for nearly a decade. While he didn’t quite get into the championship picture, he did have some nice wins along the way. For the “Bonecrusher,” taking out the defending champion in the very first round will be a huge feather in his cap, and give him the confidence in himself to believe he can go all the way. But when we look at it on paper Rabadanov has him covered in all areas, though if there is any place where Diakiese may surprise the champ it’s on the feet. Diakiese has speed on his side and can mix it up well of the fight goes blow-for-blow on the feet. That said, I fully expect Rabadanov to go to his strength when the time comes and take the fight to the ground to put an end to it. And this fight could very well steal the show, as these two men got up close and personal during a recent staredown!

Final Prediction: Rabadanov via second-round submission

Main Card Quick Picks:

Kasanganay to defeat Edwards via third-round TKO
Rabadanov to defeat Diakiese via second-round submission
Dalton Rosta to defeat Sadibou Sy via third-round TKO
Mads Burnell to defeat Jay-Jay Wilson via unanimous decision

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