Edwards to face former PFL champion Kasanganay

Fabian Edwards will fight former PFL light-heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay in the first round of the 2025 PFL middleweight tournament in Florida on 18 April.

The Briton, 31, faces a tough opener against the American, who has 18 wins and five losses on his record.

Kasanganay's last outing was a knockout loss in the final of the 2024 PFL light-heavyweight tournament.

Edwards enters the middleweight tournament as one of the favourites after two competitive match-ups with former Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen in 13 months.

The Birmingham fighter lost both those fights but holds wins over Mike Shipman and Aaron Jeffery, who also compete in the tournament.

The PFL tournaments will be knockout format, unlike previous years where the first round contributed to a division league table.

The eventual champions will receive £395,000 ($500,000) in prize money.

Also announced for the first-round match-ups were fights for Englishmen Jake Hadley, Linton Vassell, Shipman, Marc Diakiese, Alfie Davis and Simeon Powell.

Heavyweight Vassell gets a chance of revenge on 1 May against Oleg Popov, who beat him on the way to the 2024 final.

Northern Ireland's Karl Moore fights former light-heavyweight champion Antonio Carlos Jr on the same night, while Irish bantamweight Ciaran Clarke faces Kasum Kasumov on 11 April and Nathan Kelly takes on Taekyun Kim at featherweight on 3 April.

3 April - Universal Studios Florida

11 April - Universal Studios Florida

18 April - Universal Studios Florida

1 May - Universal Studios Florida