MMA fighter on receiving end of UFC's most-viral knockout reel talks going homeless before becoming world champion - "Thank God that happened to me"
A UFC veteran, who was the recipient of one of the most-watched combat sports knockouts, has opened up about having overcome several hardships after the loss. The MMA athlete recounted his journey from facing homelessness to becoming a world champion.
The athlete in question is former UFC fighter and current PFL athlete Impa Kasanganay. The American MMA stalwart competed in the UFC's Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) events before making his UFC main roster debut on Aug. 29, 2020.
He notably suffered a second-round KO (spinning back kick) defeat against Joaquin Buckley in the UFC in October 2020. The viral KO clip amassed more than 17.8 million views on Instagram.
Impa Kasanganay alluded that after the KO, he competed twice inside the octagon and was released from the UFC. Following that, 'Tshilobo' suffered a defeat in the Eagle FC organization, picked up a win under the XMMA banner, and then joined the PFL MMA organization.
In the PFL, Kasanganay has secured six consecutive victories. The 30-year-old notably won the 2023 PFL light heavyweight tournament winner and was crowned the PFL light heavyweight champion.
In a recent interview with SunSport, Impa Kasanganay explained that many fighters came up to him and asserted that they would've been unable to continue their fighting career after the viral KO defeat he'd suffered. Regardless, Kasanganay suggested that he was raised to own his failures and successes rather than letting his failures own him.
Kasanganay explained that he could've gone back to being an accountant and perhaps changed his name, but that would've given his younger brother and sister an excuse to give up on their pursuits in a similar fashion.
The PFL star insinuated that he experienced financial distress. However, instead of returning to live with his parents in North Carolina, he chose to live in his vehicle at his gym's car park in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
'Tshilobo' plotted his return from there and worked hard. In November 2023, he ultimately became the PFL world champion. Kasanganay stated:
"I think, 'Thank God that happened to me.' Because it really propelled me like a slingshot. I think you have to own those moments ... I've had people come up to me and they say they'd never fight again if that happened to them, how they wouldn't be able to deal with it."
What's next for former UFC fighter Impa Kasanganay?
During his SunSport interview, Impa Kasanganay further pointed out that his victory in the PFL light heavyweight tournament bagged him a $1 million prize. Moreover, Kasanganay highlighted that his PFL light heavyweight title victory was just the beginning and that he aims to become "a multiple-time, multiple-weight world champion."
In late 2023, PFL acquired the Bellator MMA organization. The PFL vs. Bellator fight card will transpire at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 24, 2024. In the event's co-headlining matchup, Impa Kasanganay would move to middleweight and challenge Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen in a 'champion vs. champion' super-fight.