After a long wait of nearly six years, Fabian Edwards will have the chance to avenge the first defeat of his career when he takes on Costello Van Steenis in a rematch on Friday at Palazzo Vista Legre Arena in Madrid. When Edwards emerged, “The Assassin” narrowly lost to the Spanish contender. Since then, Edwards has matured as a fighter and is at the peak of his powers. Edwards, fresh off winning the 2025 PFL Middleweight Championship, will look to establish himself as the face of the promotion with a victory over a familiar opponent. But Van Steenis’ career also went further. In July last year, “The Spaniard” won the first PFL middleweight championship, leaving MMA fans speechless. Vanstinis returns to his home country hoping to start his dominant career by defending his title.
If Vanstinis believes Edwards is in the same situation he was five years ago, he’s in for a rude awakening. Despite being dominated for much of the third round, the defending champion escaped the fight with a decision, and this time Edwards was more than capable of getting the job done.
Here are three reasons why Fabian Edwards beats Costello van Steenis at PFL Madrid:
Start with your hands
There are few middleweights in the world who possess as sharp a striking technique as Edwards. Known for his long kicks, quick counters, and cunning feints, Edwards is a master at slowing down his opponents and getting them into head-on fights. At his best, Edwards can move laterally around the cage and pick opponents apart with long-range strikes and sneaky power shots. He can calm his opponents down with feints and then put them to sleep with powerful punches. However, Edwards is more than just a kickboxer. The Renegades rookie is proud of how his ground game has developed over the years. He’s tenacious in fights and even when he’s down, he finds amazing opportunities in scrambles.
When they first met, Edwards maintained his foot advantage as he led the dance and worked behind his three-inch reach advantage. Challenging the Vanstinese defender with jabs and thrusts is a great way to draw him in and lure him into a well-timed counterattack. Edwards will rely on his movement and pace to keep Vanstinis one-dimensional. The champion is an all-around boxer who will look for his opportunities to score spectacular knockouts. That’s if Edwards keeps this fight going for as long as possible. He should be able to prove the disparity in their amazing pedigree.
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five rounds of rage
When Edwards and Van Steenis first faced off in September 2020, the fight was scheduled to last three rounds. The first round was mostly a slower-paced, tentative affair dominated by Edwards. Unfortunately for the Englishman, Van Steenis’ charge in the final minute reduced the gap and caused a split among the referees. Vanstinis would dominate the second round, while Edwards would return the favor in the third. Both men were dominant for a while, but ultimately it was a controversial first round that decided the winner. Since this fight is taking place under a five-round title limit, Edwards will have more time apart from the champion. Edwards has twice gone to five-round limits, defeating Gegard Mousasi and dropping a decision to Johnny Ebron. As a veteran striker, Edwards should appreciate the extra time to set traps and lure Vanstinis into fight-ending traps.
Headshot, dead
You can never count out the Edwards brothers. Fabian, like his world champion brother Leon Edwards, has built his career on spectacular knockouts. He’s a fighter who doesn’t let his opponents speed him up. He pays attention to timing and strives to make every punch and kick count. This makes him extremely dangerous in later battles. Edwards proved that last August when he head-kicked Dalton Rosta into the Shadow Realm to capture the PFL Middleweight Championship. This title fight comes three years to the day Leon defeated Kamaru Usman to capture the UFC welterweight crown. It’s no surprise that the brothers fight so similarly, as they always corner each other in their fights. Leon would preach patience to his brother, and Fabian would obey. It could happen early in the fight or late in the fight, but as long as Edwards is still standing, Van Steenis should be wary of headshots or his title will be wiped out right then and there.
