Before Starting at Harvard, Impa Kasanganay Headlines PFL 2

“I’m here to build something special, especially to help people”

Impa Kasanganay won the 2023 PFL Light Heavyweight Tournament.

Against the odds, Kasanganay nearly defeated Johnny Eblen this past February, losing a bout he largely dominated by split decision.

Next week, he begins studying at Harvard Business School.

For a man who was once living out of his car and looking at an uncertain future in MMA, Kasanganay is now making a permanent mark on the sport.

“Even then, I knew the best days were ahead,” said Kasanganay, 30. “I’d sit back, watch all the weird things I’d see in Florida, and trust in God.”

Later tonight, Kasanganay headlines his first-ever PFL card. He opens the new season in Vegas against Alex Polizzi at PFL 2, a light heavyweight main event. Kasanganay (15-4) had won six in a row before the loss against Eblen, who is one of the world’s most elite middleweights.

“I’m at peace with it,” said said Kasanganay, who tested Eblen in a way he had never before been tested in the cage. “My take on it is I won. It’s fighting. I caused more damage, I beat him up. He’s one of the best in the world, but he’s not better than me. And I know I’m better than I was that night.

“After the fight, we talked. We want a five-round rematch. I can’t say anything bad about Johnny. He has that warrior spirit.”

Johnny Eblen and Impa Kasanganay / Courtesy PFL

That performance reminded the fight world to never underestimate Kasanganay’s fighting spirit. His grit and determination also carried him through the six months when he was living in his Chevrolet Equinox. After splitting four fights in the UFC, he was released in 2021–and learned the hard way that the money he was pouring into the sport was not being reciprocated.

“I got myself in that position,” said Kasanganay. “You own the success, but you need to own the failure, too. And people have been through harder. I’ll never lose sight of that. I was parked right near Henri Hooft’s Kill Cliff gym [in Deerfield Beach, Florida]. I had my motorcycle, a Triumph Scrambler, parked next to me. And I used the experience to find peace.

“I’m driven. I want to be great. I’m putting in the work to get there.”

Impa Kasanganay takes flight / Courtesy PFL

Sitting beside his dog, a Belgian Malinois named Beacon, Kasanganay detailed his immediate future. He is planning to finish Polizzi in the first round tonight, then he will take an extended trip on his motorcycle. And, in just a week, he will take his first class at Harvard–beginning a financial accounting certificate program that will lead to his MBA.

Ultimately, his goal is to earn his PhD in financial accounting. At this point, who can doubt him?

“You’re going to see why I’m here,” said Kasanganay. “I’m here to build something special, especially to help people. So I don’t want to build a bigger wall, I want to build a longer table.”