I was homeless and living in my car outside my gym one year ago… now I’m one win away from winning the PFL’s $1m prize
MMA star Impa Kasanganay was homeless and living in his car just one year ago – now he is a win away from being a millionaire.
Kasanganay is in the Professional Fighters League final and fights Josh Silveira on Friday night for the light-heavyweight title and $1million prize cheque.
It was only 12 months ago he was living out of his car while parked up outside his gym in Miami.
Kasanganay, 29, told SunSport: “It’s funny how I look back a year ago, I’m like, ‘Life’s a bit different!’
“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.’”
Kasanganay only first started training in MMA in 2017 at the age of 24.
That was despite holding degrees in accounting and finance, an industry he still works in to this day.
The American went 5-0 before being discovered by the UFC, winning two bouts on Dana White’s Contender Series.
It earned him a contract with the UFC but after four bouts and only two wins, he was released.
But Kasanganay refused to tap out and used the setback as a motivator.
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He said: “It made me more determined.
“I knew I had a calling to fight. At that time, I thought I still had 15 or closer to 20 years left of fighting. So it didn’t matter.
“Whether it was the UFC, Bellator, ONE Championship or the PFL, I was just like let me go do what I was called to do, fight.
“It didn’t really matter, I enjoyed my time in the UFC but when I got released I wasn’t discouraged, I just wanted to keep fighting.”
After being let go by the UFC, Kasanganay had two more fights and then entered the PFL’s Challenger Series.
Following a victory, it qualified him into the PFL’s season, which consists of qualification and knockout stages.
Stars in each division have two regular season bouts where points are earned per method of victory.
The top four then progress into the knockout stages, culminating in a series of finale fights.
Funnily enough, as challenging as sleeping in a car was, it was a peaceful time, too.
Impa Kasanganay
Kasanganay got into the semis with a points and submission win and booked his place in the final by knocking out Marthin Hamlet.
So with just Silveira standing in his way of a world title and $1m cheque, Kasanganay feels his UFC exit worked out for the best.
He said: “In the UFC it was actually challenging to get fights and when I was released I was relieved because in the PFL I get to stay active. It was a blessing in disguise.”
Kasanganay’s inactivity in the cage is what saw him fall on hard times.
He worked as a personal trainer, at a restaurant and back in finance but it was not enough to keep him afloat.
So, he decided against moving back to his parents in North Carolina and instead lived out of his car outside Henri Hooft’s Kill Cliff gym in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Kasanganay said: “I didn’t complain, I didn’t tell anybody.
“I’m pretty sure my team-mates 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 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.
“I then started getting more clients again and was saving money but I was like, ‘You know what? We don’t need to make any crazy moves right now.’
“I was going through it relationship-wise, life-wise, I thought I was going to get married and that didn’t work.
“I think my brain was everywhere and the only thing that was consistent was my training. I was finding a lot of peace just being on the matts.”
The thing that kept Kasanganay going was the dream of becoming world champion.
He said: “I’d wake up in the morning, 6am I’d be in the gym, practise at 10am, I’d hit the bag for a couple of hours, I’d shower.
“I’d work on technique and visualise, like one day I’m going to be champion.”
Kasanganay now has a house in Florida and is one fight away from achieving his dream, marking a stunning 12-month turnaround.
He said: “You see how life has changed. But I do really like the simple life. I want a farm, I want a ranch.
“But it’s nicer when you have a little bit more money.”