PFL 3 Recap: Edwards Delivers Main Event Knockout, Rabadanov Shines

Despite securing a decisive victory over the 2023 league champion Impa Kasanganay in the PFL 3 main event on Friday in Orlando, Fabian Edwards kept his celebration brief, focusing on the path ahead.

In a contest featuring two prominent strikers, Edwards quickly asserted control, landing sharp inside elbows that repeatedly caught Kasanganay off guard. During one exchange, an elbow from Edwards opened a cut on Kasanganay`s face, causing blood to flow.

Between rounds, a ringside doctor inspected the significant gash on Kasanganay, but ultimately cleared him to continue the fight.

Although Kasanganay had moments of success, including a short punch that landed after an accidental head clash, the two-time Bellator middleweight title challenger continued to find openings for his best strikes. The finishing sequence began with a precisely timed jab that visibly stunned Kasanganay, signaling Edwards to press forward for the knockout.

Edwards unleashed a barrage of punches that overwhelmed Kasanganay, sending him to the canvas. The referee intervened to stop the contest at 2:14 of the second round. After sharing a moment in the cage with his brother, Leon Edwards, Fabian turned his attention to his next potential opponent, Josh Silveira, who also secured a victory earlier that night.

“I feel good but the job`s not done,” Edwards commented on his win. “One down, two more to go. I can`t get too happy. PFL, you should have brought in elbows a long time ago.”

In the co-main event, Gadzhi Rabadanov, the 2024 PFL champion, maintained his dominance in the lightweight division with a swift demolition of former UFC fighter Marc Diakiese in just 32 seconds.

The fight barely started when Diakiese attempted a kick, which Rabadanov caught before executing a takedown. Once on the ground, Rabadanov unleashed a rapid series of punches, leaving Diakiese unable to defend himself before he went limp, prompting the stoppage.

It was a stunning display, securing yet another knockout win for Rabadanov, who advances in the PFL tournament to face Jay Jay Wilson in the next round.

Dalton Rosta delivered a commanding performance, ultimately finishing PFL veteran Sadibou Sy to advance in the middleweight tournament. While Sy is known for his striking, it was Rosta who landed a hard punch in the second round that led to the fight going to the ground.

Relentlessly attacking with strikes and submission attempts on the ground, Rosta eventually found an opening for a D`arce choke. As he tightened the grip, escape was impossible, and Sy lost consciousness, resulting in the fight being stopped.

Jay Jay Wilson earned his spot in the lightweight tournament semifinals with a punishing victory over Mads Burnell. Although he was well on his way to a unanimous decision win, Wilson continued to wear down Burnell until he trapped him and began landing heavy ground strikes.

With each punch landed, Burnell faded further, and Wilson continued his assault until the referee stepped in. It was an impressive showing as Wilson thoroughly overwhelmed Burnell before securing the finish late in the third and final round.

In the first bout on the main card, Alfie Davis surprised multi-time PFL veteran Clay Collard with a perfectly timed spinning back elbow to the head. Collard was immediately wobbled but managed to stay upright momentarily despite being dropped.

However, this was only temporary survival, as Davis continued to connect with punches until referee Blake Grice determined Collard could no longer intelligently defend himself, stopping the contest at 2:12 of the first round.

Full PFL 3 Results: