Why Fabian Edwards beats Costello van Steenis at PFL Madrid

After nearly six long years of waiting, Fabian Edwards will have the chance to avenge the first loss of his career when he rematches Costello van Steenis on Friday at the Vistalegre Arena Palace in Madrid. When Edwards was a rising prospect, “The Assassin” dropped a razor-thin split decision to the Spanish contender. Since then, Edwards has matured as a fighter and is at the peak of his powers. Fresh off winning the 2025 PFL middleweight tournament, Edwards hopes to establish himself as the face of the promotion with a win over a familiar rival. But van Steenis is further along in his career as well. “The Spaniard” left MMA fans speechless after he pulled off the upset of the year last July to win the inaugural PFL middleweight title. van Steenis returns to his home country looking to kick his reign off with a dominant title defense.

If van Steenis believes that Edwards is the same prospect half a decade ago, he’s in for a rude awakening. The reigning champion escaped that fight with a decision despite being overwhelmed for most of the third round, and this time Edwards has what it takes to finish the job.

Here are three reasons why Fabian Edwards will defeat Costello van Steenis at PFL Madrid:

It starts with the hands

There are few middleweights in the world with striking technique as sharp as Edwards. Known for his long rangy kicks, quick counters and tricky feints, Edwards is a master at slowing his opponent down and drawing them into cerebral warfare. At his best, Edwards can move laterally around the cage and pick his opponent apart with long range attack and sneaky power shots. He can lull a fighter with feints before putting them to sleep with powerful punches. Edwards is so much more than just a kickboxer, however. The Team Renegade prospect has prided himself on developing his ground game over the years. He’s stubborn in the clinch and even when he goes to the ground, he finds his striking opportunities in the scramble.

When they fought the first time, Edwards held an edge on the feet when he led the dance and worked behind his three-inch reach advantage. Picking at van Steenis guard with jabs and teeps is a great way to draw him out and lure him into a well-timed counter. Edwards will look to rely on his movement and pacing to keep van Steenis one-dimensional. The champion is a well-rounded fighter who will look to find his moments to secure eye-catching takedowns. If Edwards keeps this fight on the feet for a long as possible. He should be able to demonstrate the gap in their striking pedigree.

Five rounds of fury

When Edwards and van Steenis met the first time Sept. 2020, the fight was slated for three rounds. Round one was primarily a slower paced, feeling-out process that Edwards led for most part. Unfortunately for the Englishman, van Steenis closed the gap with a surge in the closing minute, causing a rift between the judges. Van Steenis would dominate the second round on the ground before Edwards returned the favor in the third. Both men had periods of dominance, but it would ultimately be the controversial first round that decided the winner. With this fight taking place under the five-round championship limit, Edwards will have more time to separate himself from the champion. Edwards has gone the five-round limit twice, beating Gegard Mousasi and dropping a decision to Johnny Eblen. As an experienced striker, Edwards should appreciate the extra time to set traps and lure van Steenis into a fight-finishing trap.

Headshot, dead

You can never count out an Edwards brother. Fabian, much like his world championship-winning older brother Leon Edwards, has built his career on fantastic highlight-reel-worthy knockouts. He’s a fighter who won’t let an opponent speed him up. He strikes off timing and aims to make every punch and kick count. This makes him exceptionally dangerous later in fights. Edwards proved this last August when he head kicked Dalton Rosta to the shadow realm to capture the PFL middleweight tournament title. The championship-winning kick was three years to the day that Leon famously knocked out Kamaru Usman to claim the UFC welterweight crown. It’s no surprise the brothers fight so similarly, considering they’ve always cornered each other for their fights. Leon will preach patience to his younger brother, and Fabian will oblige. It could come early in the bout or in the closing moments, but as long as Edwards is standing, van Steenis should be wary about the headshot or his title reign will be dead on the spot.