Fabian Edwards endured a rollercoaster of feelings over the previous few weeks after he acquired notification that he was being faraway from the upcoming PFL middleweight event earlier than ultimately getting his spot again with a combat booked in opposition to Impa Kasanganay on Friday.
The entire ordeal got here all the way down to a visa situation for the British fighter touring into the US, the place the fights are being held, however he credit his supervisor with getting the state of affairs dealt with. Edwards admits that the state of affairs served as a distraction, however didn’t forestall him from staying prepared for his upcoming combat.
“I received the decision on a Sunday saying that I’m out,” Edwards informed MMA Preventing. “It was some visa situation. I had a visa situation. Not a lot a difficulty, simply the time that it took for my visa to return again wasn’t going to be again in time. However my supervisor, Ali [Abdelaziz], went and did his factor and sorted it out. The truth that he needed to pull on his contracts to try this, I recognize that rather a lot. It’s good to have somebody like that in your nook to type it out. I’m grateful.
“To be trustworthy, it received sorted out form of fast [over] the span of a few days, however all through the camp, it was at the back of my thoughts a bit bit, however I simply tried to not give attention to it. I knew that I needed to keep locked in. No matter whether or not I used to be going to combat or not, I had to ensure I used to be coaching correctly and I completed that.”
With solely so many spots to fill in an eight-person event, Edwards is grateful that he was in a position to reclaim his place, particularly figuring out he might compete as much as thrice over the following few months.
“I’m completely satisfied,” Edwards mentioned. “To have the ability to have the chance to go in there and do this, particularly when final week or no matter it was, I assumed it was taken away from me. I used to be completely satisfied to be again in. I’ve at all times mentioned I desire a shitload of fights and I get my alternative to try this.”
Whereas Edwards is glad together with his plans for 2025, the identical can’t be mentioned for a number of the different fighters on the identical PFL roster.
Edwards’ former opponent and present Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen is certainly one of a handful of fighters talking out about lengthy intervals of inactivity, with no indication from the PFL when he may compete once more.
“Nonetheless ready on PFL for some combat information,” Eblen wrote in February, together with his most up-to-date combat coming in opposition to Edwards again in October 2024. “Haven’t heard a peep from Donn [Davis] or the PFL crew. What’s occurring, guys?”
Nonetheless ready on pfl for some combat information… haven’t heard a peep from Donn or the PFL crew. What’s occurring guys?
— Johnny Eblen (@JohnnyEblen) February 19, 2025
As a lot as he’s thought of Eblen an expert rival, Edwards admits he feels for his former opponent and different champions like Corey Anderson and Patchy Mix, who’ve additionally complained about lengthy stretches of inactivity.
“It’s shit. what I imply?” Edwards mentioned. “There’s no different technique to say about it. It’s shit. They should type it out as a result of that would very a lot be me. In my thoughts, I’m not pondering as a result of I’m combating, f*ck everybody else. No, that is how we make our incomes, that is what we put all our effort and time into.
“To see all these guys on the sidelines for a 12 months or over a 12 months, it’s craziness. I simply hope they will type out what they should type out.”
Whereas the PFL is planning on selling a number of “champion” sequence occasions in 2025, with the primary card anticipated to happen in early summer season, there are solely so many slots obtainable, so it’s unattainable to know when or if sure athletes will compete.
Edwards understands the frustration Eblen and different fighters are dealing with, particularly with a lot uncertainty in relation to the long run.
“We’re going on the market and placing our well being on the road,” Edwards mentioned. “I do know clearly it’s our selection, however we’re nonetheless going on the market and placing it on all the road. The truth that fighters get the worst finish of the stick, it’s shitty. However that is what we select.”
Regardless of two previous fights in opposition to one another, Edwards says he doesn’t harbor any in poor health will in the direction of Eblen, and if something, he desires the Bellator middleweight champion to get busy so they might probably meet once more in the future.
There’s no technique to know if that may occur or not, however Edwards desires to do his half by profitable the PFL middleweight event, and hopefully, Eblen is open to the identical concept.
“I hope they combat him quickly,” Edwards mentioned about Eblen. “I hope they combat all the blokes quickly. That is how we make our residing. That is what we sacrifice the whole lot for. Hopefully, they type the whole lot out.
“However yeah, I get by the event, and I will likely be eyeing up that third combat. I will likely be searching for that third combat.”
