Fabian Edwards experienced a mix of emotions recently when he was initially told he was out of the upcoming PFL middleweight tournament. However, his place was reinstated, and he is now set to fight Impa Kasanganay on Friday.
The issue arose from a visa problem for Edwards, who is British and needed to travel to the United States for the fights. He gives credit to his manager for resolving the situation. Edwards acknowledges that the visa issue was a distraction but didn`t stop him from preparing for his fight.
“I received a call on Sunday saying I was out of the tournament due to a visa delay,” Edwards told MMA Fighting. “It wasn`t exactly a visa problem, but the processing time was too long. Thankfully, my manager, Ali Abdelaziz, stepped in and sorted it out, using his connections. I really appreciate his efforts. It`s great to have someone like that in your corner to handle things. I am grateful.”
“To be honest, it was resolved quite quickly, within a couple of days. But during training camp, it was a slight worry in the back of my mind. I tried not to dwell on it and stayed focused on training. Whether I was fighting or not, I knew I had to train properly, and I did.”
With limited spots in the eight-person tournament, Edwards is relieved to have his place back, especially knowing he could fight up to three times in the coming months.
“I’m happy,” Edwards said. “To have the chance to compete, especially after thinking it was taken away last week, I’m really happy to be back in. I’ve always wanted to be very active, and this is a great opportunity for fights.”
While Edwards is pleased with his own fight schedule for 2025, he recognizes that other PFL fighters aren`t as fortunate.
Johnny Eblen, Edwards` former opponent and the current Bellator middleweight champion, is among several fighters who have voiced concerns about long periods of inactivity and lack of communication from the PFL regarding their fight schedules.
“Still waiting on PFL for fight news,” Eblen posted in February, noting his last fight was against Edwards in October 2024. “Haven’t heard from Donn [Davis] or the PFL team. What’s going on?”
Despite their past rivalry, Edwards says he feels sympathy for Eblen and other champions like Corey Anderson and Patchy Mix, who have also expressed frustration with long periods without fights.
“It’s sh*t, you know?” Edwards stated. “There’s no other way to put it. It’s terrible. They need to fix it because it could easily be me in that situation. I’m not just thinking about myself because I have a fight. This is how we earn a living, it`s what we dedicate our time and effort to.”
“Seeing these guys sidelined for a year or more is crazy. I hope they can sort out these issues.”
The PFL plans to hold several “champion” series events in 2025, starting in early summer, but with limited slots, it`s uncertain when or if some fighters will get to compete.
Edwards understands the frustration of Eblen and other fighters, especially with the uncertainty surrounding their future fight schedules.
“We are putting our health at risk in there,” Edwards said. “It’s our choice, but we are still risking our well-being. It’s unfair that fighters often bear the brunt of these situations. It’s a tough part of the business we’ve chosen.”
Despite their two previous fights, Edwards holds no animosity towards Eblen and hopes the Bellator middleweight champion gets active again so they might have a chance to fight a third time.
It’s unclear if that will happen, but Edwards aims to do his part by winning the PFL middleweight tournament and hopes Eblen is also aiming for a future matchup.
“I hope they get him fighting soon,” Edwards said about Eblen. “I hope they get all those guys fighting soon. This is our livelihood. It’s what we sacrifice everything for. Hopefully, they resolve these issues.”
“If I get through the tournament, I’ll definitely be looking for that third fight with Eblen. It’s something I’ll be aiming for.”
