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Fabian Edwards is surging heading into the 2025 PFL middleweight final. | đź“·: PFL MMA
Fabian Edwards’ resume only lacks a major mixed martial arts championship at this stage of his career—a cold reality he could soon change.
The Team Renegade star will collide with Dalton Rosta when their Professional Fighters League middleweight final headlines PFL 2025 World Tournament 10 on Thursday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Edwards, 32, has rattled off six wins across his past eight appearances, losing only to former Bellator MMA champion Johnny Eblen. He qualified for the final with a second-round technical knockout of Impa Kasanganay in April and a three-round unanimous decision over Joshua Silveira a little more than two months later. On the other side of the equation, the once-beaten Rosta steps back into view on the strength of a three-fight winning streak. The American Top Team export last saw action at PFL 2025 World Tournament 7, where he avenged his only career defeat with a split decision over Aaron Jeffery on June 27. It was preceded by a second-round brabo choke submission of Sadibou Sy in the tournament quarterfinals.
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In addition to the Edwards-Rosta showdown at 185 pounds, here are three other reasons to catch PFL 2025 World Tournament 10:
European Flavor
Oleg Popov wants to finish what he started this time. A runner-up in 2024, the 33-year-old Fedor Emelianenko protégé locks horns with Alexander Romanov when their five-round heavyweight tournament final draws co-main event duties. Popov has posted 19 victories over his past 20 outings—a remarkable stretch of consistency interrupted only by his triangle choke submission loss to countryman Denis Goltsov on Nov. 29. Decisions over Ultimate Fighting Championship veterans Karl Williams and Rodrigo Nascimento propelled him into his second straight tournament final. Romanov, meanwhile, has nailed down 16 of his 19 pro victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. He advanced in the competition with a guillotine choke finish of Tim Johnson on May 1 before his semifinal opposite Valentin Moldavsky concluded prematurely due to a low blow from which he could not recover. PFL officials moved Romanov on to the final under less-than-ideal circumstances since he was on the receiving end of the foul.
Uphill Battle
Sullivan Cauley was viewed as little more than a dark horse at the start of the PFL’s latest campaign. Perhaps he can shed the label now. Cauley looks to complete his improbable climb to the 205-pound mountaintop when he squares off with Antonio Carlos Jr. in the five-round light heavyweight tournament final. Cauley wrestled collegiately at Arizona State University before he made the transition to MMA. He approaches his latest hurdle with the wind of a three-fight winning streak at his back. The Dan’s Gym product last fought at PFL 2025 World Tournament 7, where he laid claim to a unanimous decision over ex-Bellator titleholder Phil Davis in their three-round semifinal on June 27. On the other side of the ledger, Carlos Jr. was a PFL champion in 2021. The American Top Team mainstay has won seven of his past eight bouts, including a three-round unanimous decision over Simeon Powell in their semifinal some two months ago. A decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Carlos Jr. has secured 12 of his 18 career victories by submission.
Proper Litmus Test
The degree of difficulty seems to be on the upswing for Bryce Meredith, one of the more promising prospects under contract to the PFL. He puts his perfect 7-0 record on the line against the undefeated Lazaro Dayron in a three-round bantamweight prelim. Meredith was a three-time NCAA All-American wrestler at the University of Wyoming, where he was a onetime Big 12 Conference champion and two-time national runner-up. The promising 30-year-old has not fought since Sept. 7, when he put Jonathan Macalolooy to sleep with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their Bellator Champions Series 4 encounter. Dayron should provide far more resistance. A 33-year-old product of The Goat Shed Academy, “El Cazador” has not strapped on the gloves since he settled for a majority draw with Danny Sabatello at PFL 8 a year ago. Dayron started his career with eight consecutive victories inside the Combate Global, Titan Fighting Championship and Lights Out Xtreme Fighting promotions.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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