From Sleeping in his Car to Competing for $1 Million: The Impa Kasanganay Story
Most of the best athletes in other sports have seemingly prepared for the moment they would reach the pinnacle for their entire lives. Even MMA greats like Henry Cejudo started working toward his wrestling accolades as a kid.
The road to athletic greatness came differently for Impa Kasanganay, whose first brush with organized competition came in the form of American football as late as his senior year of high school.
The Immigrant Mentality
Kasanganay is the first-born son of Congolese immigrants who moved to America from Kinshasa to create better opportunities for their family. Born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and growing up in the countryside of Okeechobee, Kasanganay moved to North Carolina at 12, where he would spend his formative years.
Like many immigrant households, Kasanganay's family would work unfathomable hours to provide a good life for Impa and his brother & sister. As a nurse, his mother sometimes worked 17-hour days to make ends meet.
His parents were determined to send their kids to college, so the focus growing up was on academics. Kasanganay attended an Art School for Music, where he learned to play Tuba and Trombone, and was initially focused on working his way toward becoming a music major in college.
Impa is one of those guys who gives you the feeling that if it weren't fighting, he would've been famous at something. His commitment to become the best in whatever his given interest was at the time showed through in his love for music, but his athletic prowess was what would ultimately take him places. In his senior year of high school (age 17), Kasanganay started pursuing football under coach Bellissimo in North Carolina, leading him to score a scholarship to Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2016.
Kasanganay credits his parents' open-mindedness as a critical factor in his life's direction. As an immigrant parent, it isn't easy to understand that being exceptional in athletics could lead to a free education. Their willingness to trust Impa's journey gave him a massive boost toward his future.
After a productive college career, Kasanganay would go on to play with future NFL star Kyle Dugger and earn three degrees in Business Administration, Accounting, and Finance. The guy has always been a well-rounded workhorse.
While Impa's initial plan was to play Tuba or Trombone professionally, he wanted to be realistic about his professional future, making plans to get his CPA and pursue Accounting full-time. However, his athletic prowess was undeniable, and it was in 2017 that he stepped into an MMA gym for the first time.
MMA Beginnings
Let's recap: in just six years, Impa went from not playing any sport whatsoever to playing high-level college football and then fighting his first amateur MMA fight. He finished his first two amateur fights in just one minute and would incur his first-ever loss to future UFC veteran Bryan Battle. This fight was a valuable turning point in Impa's career, showing him that his takedown defense and grappling experience needed to be improved.
Impa's relentless mindset sent him to the gym to work heavily on improving his grappling to ensure he wouldn't make the same mistake again. "I wasn't mature enough to handle it at that time," he said.
"But then I didn't lose again 'till the Buckley fight."
The only two fighters to make their professional debut and Dana White's Contender Series debut in the same year? Bo Nickal and Impa Kasanganay.
Impa quickly built a 5-0 record in the span of six months and went on DWCS in August of 2019 to earn his spot in the UFC. He won by unanimous decision, but the performance needed to be better to earn a contract at that time.
Despite the lack of a UFC contract, Dana White said something about Impa that night that would foreshadow the rest of his career: "If one of these other organizations sign him, he could be top five in the world or world champion one day." That day could be Friday.
Welcome to the Big Show
While Impa was technically 1-0 under the UFC banner, coming home without the contract was enough reason for him to go to his parents and admit defeat. With three degrees and an exceptional musical background in his back pocket, Impa didn't need to fight.
"When I finished college, I was either going to the Military or getting a CPA," he said. "I told my parents I had one amateur fight and left my accounting job to pursue fighting. I was working at a restaurant, bouncing around, even training clients for $10 a session. I told my parents that if I'm not in the UFC in two years, I'll go back and get my CPA. When I didn't get the contract (the first time on DWCS), I told my parents that I'd go back. But they pushed me to keep doing MMA," he said.
Suddenly, his parents were entirely on board. They saw his skill and commitment level and the avenues that sports could afford their family. His brother played college basketball, and his sister committed to West Point. Just like Impa, they were now all in.
"Don't come home if you lose," his father said.
Impa was invited back to DWCS for the second time almost a year later. He wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste. After securing the contract he worked hard for, Kasanganay was finally in the UFC.
The Brutal Truth About the Fight Game
Kasanganay instantly made waves in one of the quickest debuts in history after a DWCS win. Just 18 days after securing the contract, he stepped into the octagon for his official UFC debut against Maki Pitolo. He scored a decision win in the debut against a fighter with more than twice as many fights on his record, setting him up for a major step in competition.
On another quick turnaround, Impa Kasanganay fought Joaquin Buckley on October 10, 2020, just a month and a half after his debut. He was still fighting out of his original fight camp, "Gym-O" in North Carolina, home to Scott Holtzman and Bryan Barbarena.
"Scott Holtzman was my first MMA mentor, I remember talking to him for over two hours one time about the future over the phone with him," he said.
"Training with Bryan (Barbarena) was great, but he wasn't always at the gym. I needed more people who could beat me up."
With limited resources in a short time frame, Kasanganay stared at high expectations so soon into his young MMA career, even coming in as a -255 favorite. He started strong in the first round, but everybody knows what happened in the second round.
Impa Kasanganay was caught with a jump-spinning back kick that proved incredibly unpredictable, given he caught Buckley's other foot before the kick was thrown. In a chance moment, Kasanganay was on the receiving end of what people called the greatest knockout of all time and easily the knockout of the year.
"It didn't bother me as a fighter; this is what we came here to do," he said. "The first thing I could remember, I was with Bryan, my dad, and my teammate Diego at the time. I was like, 'What happened?' And they said, 'You got hit with a head kick, but it wasn't just a regular head kick.' They told me not to look into my phone right away."
He continued, "So everyone's kind of looking at me like, 'Is he okay?' From the time I walked out of the cage to when I got to the back, I didn't remember anything. When I finally looked at my phone, I thought it was a great shot (from Buckley). It wasn't lucky. I caught the kick three times, and I didn't respond to it well, but I looked at my dad, and I said, 'Don't worry, I'll finish the next guy.'"
This knockout could have easily defined Kasanganay's career. To some fans, it does; he says he gets tagged in that video 3-4 times a week. But he now has an opportunity to redefine the story of his career entirely, and he knew that was the case as soon as he took that first professional loss.
"We were on our way to the hospital in Abu Dhabi (after the Buckley fight), and I'm looking out, marveling at the desert, feeling like I'm in a whole new world, thinking, 'I'm gonna be a champion one day,'" he said.
He knew it wasn't all bad; Joe Rogan shared the knockout, and while it wasn't his highlight, his followers still shot up. He told his dad that night, "Don't worry, when I'm a champion, I'll have my highlight too."
The Comeback
While Gym-O holds a special place in Kasanganay's heart, he knew that he was at a turning point in his career that many fighters have faced, deciding that he needed to change camps to get more looks. He packed his bags and went down to Florida.
Kasanganay’s new home would be Sanford MMA, now known as Kill Cliff FC. A fighter's life isn't the easiest – he spent his early training days in Florida living and sleeping out of his car.
"Every time I walk past that parking spot, I'm like, 'Man, now I'm going home; I've got a house with a garage,'" he said.
"I'm pretty sure my teammates would have let me in, but I was like, 'No, you got yourself in this situation; you've got to get yourself out of it.' One day, Henri (Hooft) was in the gym, and he was like, 'Hey, are you sleeping in your car? Because security said the car is here a lot, and it could be one of the fighters.' Funnily enough, as challenging as sleeping in a car was, it was a peaceful time, too."
Now living out of a house in Florida, Kasanganay can look back on his previous living situation with pride, knowing that he did what he needed to do to gain the experience he needed. While he would go 1-1 in his last two UFC fights, Dana White would eventually decide to cut him, with fans still generally associating him with that viral knockout.
Kasanganay didn't give up, returning to the regional scene to build himself back up. He would go 1-1 in his next two, with the loss coming by a controversial split decision in Khabib's Eagle FC against a Dagestani opponent and with the win coming by KO against former UFC veteran Jared Gooden. This earned him a spot on the PFL Challenger Series, making his PFL debut just this past March.
"I was willing to fight from welterweight to heavyweight after my XMMA and EFC fights. I was praying in the shower for a call from any organization. 'The Story I'll Tell' by Maverick City Music came on, and I hadn't heard that song since I was in Abu Dhabi before the UFC fight (against Buckley. When I got out of the shower, I got a text from my agent," he said.
He won the fight by KO, giving him a spot in the 2023 regular season, fighting at 205. Kasanganay crossed paths with the late, great Anthony "Rumble" Johnson at Kill Cliff, and the two shared an ability to hop around weight classes; Kasanganay has fought at welterweight in the UFC and has even climbed up to heavyweight in the amateur ranks – a true warrior.
The PFL Season
Impa's early career showed the pace at which he felt most comfortable competing; he prefers to stay active, meaning that the PFL's format works well with his style.
He said, "In the UFC, it was challenging to get fights. When I was released, I was relieved because in the PFL I get to stay active. It was a blessing in disguise."
Impa made it clear that he holds no ill will toward the UFC and is mainly grateful for the attention he received from the staff. He also maintains that the care from PFL staff is of equal quality.
"Seeing the organization grow the way it is, it's an exciting time," he said. "It's cool to see them grow in their own unique way and leave a footprint on MMA. Being a part of this is a super cool thing to be on the inside of. I commentated for the first time (with PFL). Being an ambassador of Africa has also been cool. I feel that I'm really valued as an athlete and as a person."
Impa has always received proper care from the PFL staff, but he had to earn commercial attention on his own. After winning the Challenger Series, he stamped his spot in the 2023 playoffs with two regular-season wins, one by submission. His move to Kill Cliff helped him continue his journey toward becoming a well-rounded mixed martial artist who presents danger from all positions.
Going into the semifinals of the playoffs, he also reminded everyone of his knockout power, finishing Marthin Hamlet in the first round. Now at 14-3, Kasanganay is undefeated in the promotion, riding five straight wins to the most important fight of his life against Josh Silveira. With a win, he secures $1 million, a championship belt, and MMA immortality.
"Thank god the UFC cut me because now I'm in the PFL," he said.
Life Beyond Fighting
When Impa took his fight hopes to Florida, he committed his entire life. He focused on training all day, slept at the gym, and took fights when he could. He's always had high hopes for his fighting career, but that hasn't stopped him from thinking about his life after fighting and the people who helped get him here.
Kasanganay mentioned Tom Brady and LeBron James as athletes who have expertly parlayed their athletic success into generational wealth, and he has the same plans for himself. He sees the $1 million prize as an opportunity to change his parents' lives, to give back to his trainers, and to invest his money intelligently.
"I want to turn the $1 million into $20 million," he said, also expressing interest in returning to school to get an MBA. He's already started the pursuit, becoming the head of athlete relations for Live Wealth Group, a one-stop-shop for financial services. This group has helped him gear up for his financial future, and he wants to help sign other athletes and show them how they can incrementally improve their lives by putting their money in the right place.
"I want to show fighters that you can diversify your income to eventually become financially free," he said.
"You see how (my) life has changed. But I do really like the simple life. I want a farm; I want a ranch."
A Worthy Opponent
Impa knows that his opponent, Josh Silveira, is no slouch. With a 12-1 record, Silveira has a knack for scoring finishes, only seeing the scorecards in one of his wins. The son of Conan Silveira, co-founder and head coach of American Top Team, Josh will be holding the weight of the whole gym on his shoulders as two rival Florida gyms go to battle for $1 million.
Impa met Josh on a flight to Abu Dhabi when Josh was fighting in LFA; there is mutual respect, as he knows that Silveira is good everywhere. Regardless, Kasanganay enters the fight looking to dominate, seeing a potential early finish on the cards.
With a litany of training partners like Phil Hawes, Gregory Rodrigues, Brendan Allen, Jason Jackson, Dilano Taylor, Vincente Luque, and Gilbert Burns at his disposal, he knows that there's nothing Silveira will bring that he hasn't seen before.
"Mentally, my fight style is to go assassinate them, (to) take them out." I flow.
While Impa Kasanganay is less than ten years into his athletic career, he has been training for this moment his whole life. Being raised by his parents to work tirelessly in his academics and musical pursuits set the stage for a journey fueled by hard work.
His fight nickname, "Tshilobo" " comes from his dad's native tongue in Congo, and it means "King" or "Mighty Warrior under god". He'll take that Tshilobo mentality into the Smartcage on Friday in a fight bound to deliver.
The PFL isn't here to take part; they're here to take over. At the forefront sits their hidden Congolese Cowboy, who won't be so hidden much longer.
