The Professional Fighters League (PFL) crowned its world tournament champions in the heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight divisions last week at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, with each winner earning a $500,000 bonus.
Among the titlists was Kingston, Jamaica native Fabian Edwards (16-4), who fights out of Birmingham, England. Edwards floored Dalton Rosta (11-2) in the card’s main event by knockout with a thunderous head kick at 1:28 in the third round to win the middleweight tournament.
“(There is) so much more to achieve,” said Edwards, who is the younger brother of former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, after his win. “I’m 32. I started this sport when I was 22, and I still feel like I have so many years and so many things to achieve and so much more big performances to come.”
Edwards is now targeting PFL middleweight world champion Costello van Steenis, who handed him the first loss of his career in September 2020.
“As long as the shoulder’s good, yeah,” Edwards said. “I don’t think I can lift my arm above my head (right now), so as long as my shoulder’s [all right], let’s go.” Edwards suffered a left shoulder injury in the victory over Rosta.
Antônio Carlos Jr. (19-6) won the light heavyweight tournament by defeating Sullivan Cauley (8-2) by submission with a rear-naked choke hold. The Brazilian became the only fighter to repeat as PFL world tournament champion after doing so in 2021.
“Man, it feels great. Different from the first one,” he said. “Especially after a lot of injuries. I had so many injuries in my knee that sometimes I even doubt myself.”
In the battle of the big men, Russian Oleg Popov (22-2) won the heavyweight world tournament, defeating Moldova’s Alexandr Romanov (19-4) by a 49-46, 48-47, 47-48 split decision.