Stunning KO Secures Tournament Win
Fabian Edwards captured the Professional Fighters League (PFL) middleweight tournament and a $500,000 (£369,000) prize with a dramatic head kick knockout of Dalton Rosta in Hollywood, Florida. After two competitive rounds, the Birmingham fighter landed a left high kick, sending Rosta crashing to the mat and prompting the referee to stop the fight.
Mirroring Brother Leon’s Legendary Finish
The knockout mirrored the move his older brother Leon Edwards used to defeat Kamaru Usman in 2022 to claim the UFC welterweight title. Leon was present cage-side for Fabian’s victory and celebrated with him after the fight.
“That is crazy. God’s got a funny way of working,” Fabian said, noting the timing of his win almost exactly three years after Leon’s iconic knockout. “I said to my brother, ‘I’m going to try that shot’. I do that shot well in the gym, and it worked beautifully.”
Part of a Strong Week for British Fighters
Fabian Edwards is the second Briton to win a PFL tournament in a week, following Alfie Davis’ lightweight victory. He is also the fourth British PFL tournament winner overall, joining Brendan Loughnane (featherweight, 2022) and Dakota Ditcheva (women’s flyweight, 2024).
Road to Redemption
Edwards treated the PFL final as a championship bout, following previous losses to Johnny Eblen in Bellator middleweight title fights in 2023 and 2024. He rebuilt momentum this year with victories over Impa Kasanganay and Josh Silveira, setting up the final showdown.
Edwards started strong with leg kicks, but Rosta gained control with takedowns late in the first round. The second round saw Rosta land heavy punches, but Edwards recovered, grappling against the cage until delivering the decisive head kick.
Emotional Victory and Next Steps
After the knockout, Edwards was embraced by teammates and dropped to the ground in tears, saying: “I’ve worked so hard.”
Following his win, Edwards will face PFL middleweight champion Costello van Steenis, who recently defeated Eblen. The promotion announced the fight for a to-be-determined date later this year.
