PFL Champ Impa Kasanganay of Kill Cliff FC inspires Rutgers, attends AEW’s World End PPV

PFL MMA light heavyweight champ Impa Kasanganay is already ready for his next challenge, looking to make a difference in and out of the cage.

As a combatant on “UFC’s Contender Series,” Impa Kasanganay received extremely high praise from Dana White, who noted that whatever organization signed him, “he” is the future.

UFC signed him, but it did not work out. He went 2-2, and then UFC cut him.

That led to bigger and better for him, but the time between was extremely challenging.

Impa, 29, eventually signed with PFL, utilizing its different approach with a regular season and playoff format. That suited Impa well, who was a replacement in one of his UFC fights.

Impa knew he was destined for success in MMA and continued to work hard. Learning from experienced fighters and top notch coaches at Kill Cliff FC (formerly Sanford MMA, Hard Knocks 365, Combat Club) in (South Florida) Deerfield Beach, Impa competed in the PFL Challenger Series 15, earning a PFL contract in March 2023.

Replacing a suspended fighter, Kasanganay entered the 2023 PFL season against Tim Caron on June 8 at PFL 4. He won the bout via an arm-triangle choke submission in the second round. In the semifinals, he faced Marthin Hamlet at PFL 7 on August 4, winning the fight via knockout in the first round to advance to the finals.

In the final, Kasanganay faced Josh Silveira of (South Florida) American Top Team on November 24 at PFL 10 via ESPN+ in Washington D.C. He won the fight via unanimous decision to win the 2023 PFL light heavyweight championship and $1 million.

Much respect between Impa and Silveira, whose father Conan co-founded ATT and is an MMA legend. The two locally-trained fighters are a testament of MMA respect and MMA professionalism.

To celebrate his championship win, Impa took a long post-fight victory lap on his Triumph motorcycle (spanning 12 days) from Washington D.C. to Virginia to North Carolina to Tennessee and then Georgia, before venturing to Ireland via the friendly skies to show his support for PFL MMA in Dublin.

Here is my video interview with the new PFL MMA light heavyweight champ Impa Kasanganay of Kill Cliff FC.

Patience, hard work and drive helped Impa reach that championship level. A believer in God, he is spiritual, and he comes from a supportive family.

Unbeknownst to them, Impa even spent some time sleeping in his car, homeless, while training in MMA in South Florida. Impa is educated with a college degree, but jobs offered, if accepted, would force him to miss some MMA training.

After being released from UFC, he opted to continue training in MMA and make his car his home for about six months.

Impa spent all the money he had, when he moved to Florida to train at what is now known as Kill Cliff FC, under the direction of Henri Hooft and Greg Jones.

Impa thought he would continue fighting for UFC, making money. That didn’t happen. He worked, too, after UFC, but his focus on MMA training and his lack of organization left him without money and without a place to live. He did not tell his coaches either. He said he put himself into this situation, and he needed to figure it out, which he eventually did.

His religious beliefs helped. He was at peace with himself, even after being cut from UFC and sleeping in the car. He started working in accounting again but never missed training.

The tough times made him stronger, and it all paid off.

Impa inspiring others

During the recent holidays, Impa spoke to the Rutgers University football team, before its Pinstripe Bowl game against the University of Miami. The Scarlet Knights really appreciated Impa’s message and key takeaway of remaining focused despite external circumstances. The talk must have worked, too, as Rutgers then beat the Canes 31-24 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Impa remained in the area to attend his first pro wrestling show - AEW’s Worlds End PPV from the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York. Backstage before it, he met future Hall of Famer “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson and talented interviewer/show host Renee Paquette.

Impa enjoyed the show so much that he may attend more AEW events in 2024. Bellator MMA Champ “The Ass Kicking Machine” Jason Jackson -- his friend and teammate at Kill Cliff FC -- loves pro wrestling, and his fighting nickname emanates from a WWE segment with The Rock, Hulk Hogan and Kane. Jackson stood in Impa’s corner during those championship finals of the PFL season. Bellator and PFL are now under the same banner.

More about Impa

Born to Congolese immigrants in Fort Lauderdale, they moved to North Carolina when he was 12. He attended Providence High School in Charlotte, where he started playing football during his senior year. He earned a scholarship to Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2016 in Hickory, North Carolina, before turning his attention to the cage at Gym-O in Gastonia, North Carolina.

During the beginnings of his MMA career, Impa worked as an accountant and holds three degrees -- an associate degree in Business Administration and accounting; a Bachelor’s in Accounting; and a Bachelor’s in Finance.

Impa (15-3) in on a 6-fight win streak. He also competed for Eagle FC 46 in Miami and XMMA 5 in Columbia, South Carolina.

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