Latest news with #Bellator
USA Today
7 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Impa Kasanganay candid about two-fight losing skid: 'I let myself get distracted'
Impa Kasanganay vows to get back to his winning ways. COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – Impa Kasanganay's PFL career has been very successful, but it has hit a rough patch in the last year. The UFC veteran joined the PFL roster through the promotion's challenger series, and went on to win five bouts in 2023 to claim that year's PFL tournament light heavyweight title and its $1 million prize. In 2024, Kasanganay (18-6) then lost a close split decision to Bellator champion Johnny Eblen in a champion vs. champion super fight, but went on to win three straight and reach another PFL tournament final. It was then that things took a turn. Kasanganay was stopped by Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov in the final of the 2024 tournament, and then again in the opening round of the 2025 PFL middleweight tournament this past April against Fabian Edwards. Kasanganay admits he let outside factors get to him in this two fight stretch, which has given him unfavorable results. "Man, I let myself get distracted," Kasanganay told MMA Junkie. "You can put your heart into things, and you can expect to turn out some way. I'm never a person who's scared to take a risk. I don't see what's the point of life if you're not taking risks. I'll take a risk like you want to build a business, and it does well, then build a gym, and it's great, then you have other things like motorcycles, and that's going really well. But you have to learn how to reevaluate who's around you, and you also have to evaluate what you're going to do next. "Sometimes what you see in a fighter it's a reflection where somebody's life is currently, but I also know too that I've been down before. I've lost two fights before. I've been knocked out in front of the whole world before, and I became a champion. I'll be champion again soon. You're a champion before you get the belt, and I'm grateful for everything that's happened: The loss to Fabian, the loss to (Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov) – two guys I definitely could've beat, too. I have looked at myself, talked to my team, looked who's around me, and I'm at the most peace and dialed in. ... Soon I'll have those titles again." Kasanganay returns to the PFL smart cage at 2025 PFL World Tournament 10: Finals on Aug. 21 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. He takes on fellow UFC veteran Andre Sanchez. Kasanganay, who was originally scheduled to fight Mike Shipman, very much likes this new matchup. "Excellent opponent," Kasanganay said. "He's obviously been around for a while now. He's got heart, technique, skill, so my main focus is claiming this victory."
USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Costello van Steenis: Johnny Eblen 'behaving like a jealous ex-girlfriend' after PFL loss
Costello van Steenis has issued his responce to Johnny Eblen. Costello Van Steenis shocked the MMA world last week, pulling off an incredible, buzzer-beating win over one of the most coveted talents outside the UFC – and he assures it wasn't a matter of luck. Van Steenis (17-3) put previously undefeated PFL middleweight champion Johnny Eblen (16-1) to sleep with just nine seconds left in their championship main event bout for PFL Africa in Cape Town, South Africa. The finish was a must for Van Steenis, as entering Round 5, Eblen was up 39-37 on two judges' scorecards, with a third having the fight tied 38-38. Winning the final round would have resulted in a majority decision win for Eblen. After the bout, in a series of posts on X, Eblen called for an immediate rematch and said that Van Steenis isn't a "better fighter," but a "lucky one." The Spanish-Dutch fighter couldn't disagree more with Eblen. "I think he's behaving like a jealous ex-girlfriend," Van Steenis told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "What do you mean luck? Luck that he was fading? He should've trained more. Luck that I put him to sleep? Man, then what great luck you've had in your previous 16 fights. "Luck is something you build in the gym. Sure, I'm lucky, I've trained more than you, that's for sure, and I believe in myself more than you believe in yourself. So yeah, that's what I think about his comments." PFL has yet to make its intentions clear on making an immediate rematch between Van Steenis and Eblen, but some would suggest Eblen's tenure as a Bellator champion, prior to PFL's acquisition of Bellator, warrants an immediate rematch. Van Steenis isn't opposed to the idea, but he would like to get a more exciting matchup, as he's not fond of Eblen's fighting style. Van Steenis sees the winner of the 2025 PFL middleweight world tournament – which is set to be Fabian Edwards vs. Dalton Rosta at 2025 PFL World Tournament 10: Finals on Aug. 21 – as the perfect dance partner for his first title defense. "Look, I'm not going to say no, but I do want to dance with another rival so we can have more action in this promotion," Van Steenis said. "He won a lot of fights by decision, and many of them are boring. I'd like to create a little more fire in this promotion. Fabian (Edwards) is going to fight Dalton Rosta in a few weeks, and I'd like to fight against the winner of that fight in December. That would be great – and if possible, in Spain."
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Ben Askren reveals long recovery after double lung transplant and severe pneumonia battle
Ben Askren has opened up about the immense physical and emotional toll his recent health battle has taken in a heartfelt update shared on social media. The former MMA star, known for his world titles in Bellator and ONE Championship and a brief UFC run, revealed he is on a long road to recovery after undergoing a double lung transplant due to a severe bout of pneumonia. The 41-year-old was hospitalized after the infection turned life-threatening, forcing doctors to perform the life-saving procedure. 'I've been home for four days now,' Askren said in a video posted to Instagram. 'It's awesome—I get to sleep in my own bed, eat my own food, hang out with my family. But I've still got so many physical challenges to deal with.' He noted he's down 35 pounds, can't walk unaided, and even struggles to lift a five-pound dumbbell. Askren, speaking between pauses for breath, said, 'Right before I had to go to the hospital I was able to curl 45 pounds. I was doing hill sprints.' His transformation from peak fitness to post-surgery fragility has been dramatic. He also shared that his heart stopped four times during the ordeal. 'The ticker stopped for about 20 seconds,' he said. Despite the trauma, Askren remains hopeful. 'I know I'll be somewhere different in a month.' While Askren faces these new physical challenges, his decorated athletic past highlights just how far he's come. Motivated by the love he received during his crisis, he added, 'It was almost like I got to have my own funeral… The outpouring of love from the wrestling community was just amazing.' Askren's wife, Amy, previously confirmed the transplant. The couple, married since 2010, have three children. The family has been raising funds to help with the high cost of surgery and recovery.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC vet Lorenz Larkin explains why he won't compete in bareknuckle boxing
Lorenz Larkin isn't done with MMA just yet, but he's open to trying a few different things. Larkin has competed in multiple major MMA organizations throughout his career, including UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, and PFL. Now with no ties to any major MMA promotion at the moment, Larkin has already tested his skills under the Karate Combat banner and sees boxing in his future as well. To be clear, Larkin is only interested in traditional, gloved boxing. Bareknuckle boxing, which has become a popular avenue for former ex-UFC fighters, is of zero interest to "The Monsoon." "Nah, man. ... If a fighter gets into a fight in the street, it's gonna be quick," Larkin told MMA Junkie Radio. "The fight's gonna be over, done deal, because the other guy doesn't know anything. They have bare hands, that fighter is probably going to punch him two times, if that, and it's gonna be over. But, you get two guys having a training camp that are going to go in and fight each other, with bare knuckles? No. I'm good off that. "The percentage of cuts is like, I don't know – I would like to know that statistic in BKFC. Like what is the percentage of people getting cut? It has to be like 80 percent. Eighty-five percent." Larkin hopes to get a deal done with Misfits Boxing soon so he can challenge himself in the sweet science, but his most recent venture into karate worked out well in his first appearance. At Karate Combat 56, Larkin won a unanimous decision against Buddy Wallace. He likes the contractual setup with the promotion because he was able to work out a deal that allows him to compete in other combat sports, with no exclusivity. Larkin, 38, started his pro MMA career in 2009, and doesn't intend to hang up the gloves soon. However, once he feels the game catching up to him, he will promptly call it a career. "I always told myself, once when I fight and I feel like these guys are too fast for me and I just can't keep up, then that's my time and I'm not scared to be like, 'That's it,'" Larkin said. "I'm not trying to chase anything. But you know what? Especially in my last three fights, have been like young killers and I'm sparking those guys. ... I've got good guys behind me, I'm training smart, and I'm not taking damage."
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
PFL's Dalton Rosta aims to finish Fabian Edwards, then take out Costello Van Steenis
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – Dalton Rosta is confident he will win the PFL middleweight tournament and then take the division's title from Costello Van Steenis. Rosta (11-1) has been on a roll in the new-look PFL tournament by submitting former champion Sadibou Sy and avenging the only loss of his career by winning a split decision over Aaron Jeffery. Those two victories have led him to the final, where he will meet former Bellator title challenger Fabian Edwards. "I'm gonna go in here and smash this dude," Rosta told MMA Junkie at American Top Team. "It's not even gonna be close." Although he can't pinpoint a reason why, Rosta says he just doesn't like Edwards (15-4). He aims to bring that energy into the cage with him when they battle at 2025 PFL World Tournament 10: Finals on Aug. 21 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. "At the end of the day, I hope this fight goes five rounds because he's talking a lot of sh*t about his cardio and he's gonna push me," Rosta said. "I can't wait to go out there, and after Round 3, if it makes it that far, he's gasping for air, he's looking for a way out, and I'm gonna take his heart from him. "... He's smug. At the end of the day, it ain't personal. I don't like the dude, but I'm going in there to take his head off because that's what I'm here to do. I'm the best in the world, and I'm gonna prove it on Aug. 21." Edwards reached the finals by stopping 2023 PFL light heavyweight season winner Impa Kasanganay and winning a unanimous decision over Josh Silveira. Rosta plans to halt Edwards' momentum and then take aim at Costello Van Steenis, who recently defeated Johny Eblen to win the PFL middleweight title. "This round, I get a super confident – I don't know why – but a super confident Fabian Edwards, and I'm going to put his lights out," Rosta said. "Then, everybody's gonna believe me (that I'm the best in the world). If they don't believe me then, at the end of the year, whenever I fight Costello Van Steenis, and then I beat him, they will." Despite Rosta and Eblen being teammates, the Pennsylvania native says it's not about getting one back for the team, but rather furthering his own career and proving himself as an elite fighter at middleweight. "(Winning the title) interests me for my own endeavors," Rosta said. "At the end of the day, I'm not here to avenge anybody's loss. He's his own man. He's my teammate, I support him. But, at the end of the day, we're in the same weight class. We're chasing the same belt, and that belt's mine."
