Fabian Edwards imitates Leon: KO with kick and PFL crown

Fabian Edwards Claims PFL Middleweight Title with Spectacular KO

In a night filled with action at the PFL World Tournament finals, Fabian Edwards starred in a memorable moment by knocking out Dalton Rosta in the third round. The contest, which took place on Thursday, culminated in a head kick reminiscent of the one used by his brother Leon to win a UFC championship three years ago. Edwards, with an impressive record of 16-4, connected with a left head kick that knocked Rosta (11-2) out at 1:28 of the third round. This strike was remarkably similar to the one Leon Edwards landed on Kamaru Usman at UFC 278, in what is considered one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the sport. The middleweight main event was the headliner for the PFL event in Hollywood, Florida. The victory awarded 32-year-old Edwards the PFL tournament prize of $500,000 and represented redemption after his two failed attempts at the Bellator title. Edwards had competed against Johnny Eblen in 2023 and 2024, losing by TKO and decision, respectively. On this occasion, he overcame two takedowns by Rosta in the early rounds, achieving his sixth knockout victory.

Fabian Edwards connects a left head kick to knock out Dalton Rosta and win the PFL middleweight title, almost three years after his brother Leon achieved the same result in the UFC.Thursday’s event also witnessed other finals of the PFL World Tournament. In heavyweight, Oleg Popov (22-2), disciple of MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, defeated Alexander Romanov (19-4) by split decision, obtaining his first PFL tournament championship. Popov had reached the final of the “regular season” championship the previous year, but lost by submission to Denis Goltsov in the first round.

In the light heavyweight division, Antonio Carlos Jr. (19-6) won his second PFL tournament championship by submitting Sullivan Cauley (8-1) in the second round. Carlos, who was considered the “underdog” in the betting, starred in an exciting match. Both fighters achieved takedowns in the first round, and Cauley suffered a cut in the second before being finished on the ground.