Fabian Edwards started his MMA career with a perfect 9-0 record before tasting defeat for the first time when he dropped a razor-close split decision to Costello van Steenis back in 2020.
The loss definitely stung, especially considering Edwards still believes he deserved the nod that night, but he always knew he would get the chance to run it back. Now that opportunity comes with the PFL middleweight title on the line when Edwards challenges van Steenis in the main event of PFL Madrid on Friday.
“He took my ‘O’ so I’m taking his belt. That’s it,” Edwards told MMA Fighting. “I can’t wait to go out there. It’s crazy how it works, we’ve gone full circle and I look forward to just going out there and enjoying it.”
While the first fight was six years ago, Edwards doesn’t discount what he learned about van Steenis that can go into his preparation for the rematch.
Edwards acknowledges that he’s a much better fighter now than he was back then, but there are still elements of van Steenis’ game and physicality that haven’t changed since their initial encounter.
“I don’t think a ton has changed,” Edwards said. “The main thing with fighting is feel and speed. Before you fight somebody, you watch everything and you wonder are they fast or strong as they look and I feel like I’ve felt that now. It won’t be a shock to me when I get in there.
“I’ve definitely watched it but I watch it and I take confidence from it. I’m thinking first of all, if that fight were to go another round, he wouldn’t have made it out of that round. Second, I look at it, and I think I’ve improved so much. I look at this version of me compared to that version, and I would have destroyed that version of myself. That version gave him so many problems. I know what I’m going to go out there and do.”
To become champion, van Steenis had to pull off one of the most improbable finishes in recent history after he was down on the scorecards with less than a minute remaining in the fight when he snatched a rear-naked choke that put Johnny Eblen to sleep this past July. The remarkable comeback was hailed as an all-time moment for van Steenis but he also pulled that off after largely losing the majority of the fight.
That’s why Edwards isn’t taking much away from that performance, although he’s definitely keeping a close eye on van Steenis looking for a similar approach on the ground rather than actually standing and striking with him.
“[Johnny] was winning until he wasn’t,” Edwards said. “There wasn’t anything that I thought wow he’s doing that really good. A few techniques that Costello did that I looked at, he done OK but Johnny was winning up until he wasn’t. I think in Costello’s head he was winning the whole fight until he got the finish.
“On paper, I know his style of fighting and I know my style of fighting. It makes for a beautiful, entertaining fight and I can’t wait to go in there and experience it. You know what I’ve realized, everyone that says they’re a striker, they dive on the legs. Even Impa [Kasanganay], he’s primarily a striker and even Impa was clinching and wanting to grapple with me. I’m not against it but I just know I expect it from him. I expect him to try and mix it up because these guys that stand up and strike with me alone without any wrestling, it’s not good for them.”
Perhaps the biggest advantage that Edwards has going into the rematch is how much he’s changed his approach to fighting, specifically over the past year.
Throughout much of his career including two past title shots against Eblen when he was Bellator champion, Edwards was obsessed with the result and not necessarily just going out and performing at his absolute best. When he finally decided to stop thinking about wins and losses, Edwards figured out he was a very dangerous man — and the results showed with a 3-0 record in 2025 with a pair of vicious knockouts along the way.
“I understand and accepted it’s f*cking fighting,” Edwards said. “I might get got, but I know if I crack someone with a few good shots, I know I can take them out. I know that I’m tough, and I know that my conditioning is on point.
“I’m looking to go out there and just have a fight and let’s see. I feel like having that mindset, you’re seeing the best of me. Rather than me having to take my time too much. That’s why.”
Ideally, Edwards would avenge his loss to van Steenis on Friday and then turn his attention to the next PFL card in Pittsburgh a week later when Eblen returns to action against UFC veteran Bryan Battle.
If Eblen gets the job done, he’s almost assured another shot at the title and Edwards can’t envision a better scenario than winning the belt and defending it against somebody who holds two wins over him.
“In my perfect world, I go out there and do exactly what I know I can do to Costello, which is get a stoppage and then avenge my loss to Johnny,” Edwards said. “That would be a perfect, perfect year for me.”
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