“My dad came into this country with $16 in his pocket”: Impa Kasanganay shares fragment of his journey to $1,000,000 win

Impa Kasanganay was among six fighters who went home with a $1 million paycheck at the recently concluded PFL 10: 2023 Season PFL Championships. Kasanganay, who had a brief stint in the UFC, was on the short end of a viral knockout featuring Joaquin Buckley.

Born in the US to Congolese immigrants in Florida, Kasanganay’s rags-to-riches story culminated with a $1 million victory at PFL, creating one of the feel-good moments of the event. He was noticeably emotional during the post-fight press conference.

Impa Kasanganay shares emotional memory

Impa Kasanganay had to win two times in the Dana White Contender Series to secure a contract in the UFC, despite winning both bouts. His UFC career was not stellar, going 2-2 with the promotion before being released. In the UFC, he experienced Joaquin Buckley’s viral spinning back hook knockout.

However, signing with PFL proved to be the best move in his career, going undefeated to claim a $1 million victory in the PFL 2023 light heavyweight tournament. Kasanganay initially appeared on the PFL: Challenger Series, swiftly dispatching Osama Elseady to earn a spot in the 2023 PFL light heavyweight tournament.

“My parents coming from here to this country, my dad came here with $16 in his pocket, and I get to share this with him. So, it feels a lot better than I could have ever imagined,” Kasanganay said at the post-fight press conference. Kasanganay was visibly emotional when asked about the feeling of seeing his parents walk into the smart cage to celebrate his victory.

Kasanganay’s parents worked very hard for Impa and his siblings to get a proper education. Moreover, they supported him when Kasanganay chose an athletic career even after having an associate degree in Business Administration and a further two bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Accounting.

Kasanganay’s viral video of getting KOed

Kasanganay’s name gained recognition in the MMA community when he suffered a brutal spinning back kick knockout from Joaquin Buckley at UFC Fight Night 179. The fight was part of the preliminary card, and Buckley earned a Performance Bonus for the knockout.

Kasanganay’s second UFC bout followed a unanimous decision victory over Maki Pitolo. He continued with a win over Sasha Palatnikov via rear naked choke submission but faced a loss to Carlston Harris via TKO, marking his last fight inside the octagon.

Nevertheless, Joaquin Buckley made a name for himself with the knockout of Kasanganay. Buckley is now a popular figure in the UFC, having engaged in high-profile fights with Chris Curtis and Nassourdine Imavov in the middleweight division. However, consecutive losses to Curtis and Imavov prompted Buckley to move down to welterweight, where he is currently on a two-fight winning streak.

Impa Kasanganay has grown from his disastrous time in the UFC. Now he has set his sights on Francis Ngannou, Johnny Eblen, and Vadim Nemkov as potential opponents. Ngannou signed with the PFL after splitting with the UFC and Eblen and Nemkov are Bellator champions in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.

What do you think of Impa Kasanganay’s title victory at PFL 10? Leave your comments below!