The extraordinary odyssey of Impa Kasanganay: From sleeping in car, becoming UFC fighter and winning $1 million

Impa Kasanganay has had quite a remarkable journey that saw him go from sleeping in his car to becoming a UFC fighter and eventually becoming a champion of a major promotion and winning $1 million.

'Tshilobo' began his professional MMA career in 2019. He quickly earned a 5-0 start, which put him on the UFC's radar for an opportunity to earn a contract on Dana White's Contender Series.

Despite earning a unanimous decision win over Kailan Hill, White decided against offering a contract. He believed that the Florida native needed some more experience in his career and made a bold prediction when giving his reasoning for not awarding the contract.

"I just think that tonight's pressure and experience was really big for this kid and he needs more experience... I'm telling you right now, whatever organization out there signs this kid, this kid is the future. I believe that this kid is gonna be top five and possibly world champ someday."

Having Dana White as a believer in his skillset was obviously a confidence booster. 'Tshilobo' earned a UFC contract after a unanimous decision win over Anthony Adams on the Contenders Series the following year.

His tenure with the promotion had its ups and downs as he went 2-2 inside the octagon and was unfortunately on the receiving end of Joaquin Buckley's famous spin kick knockout.

Following his departure from the UFC, Impa Kasanganay decided to bet on himself and took his training to Kill Cliff FC. He was definitely committed to his career and went all-in on becoming an MMA champion as he would spend hours training and then sleep in his car, which was parked outside the gym.

The Contender Series alum joined the PFL earlier this year, where he made a statement by earning a first-round TKO win over Osama Elseady in a light heavyweight bout.

Kasanganay then competed in the 2023 PFL regular season, where he earned wins over Cory Hendricks, Tim Caron, and Martin Hamlet to advance to the finals.

'Tshilobo's hard work and commitment to his MMA career paid off as he earned a unanimous decision win over Josh Silveira to win the PFL light heavyweight world championship and $1 million prize.

It will be interesting to see whether Impa Kasanganay decides to compete in next year's PFL regular season. It appears as though his next fight could be against Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov.