Fabian Edwards Bio
Fabian Edwards (born 24 March 1993) is an English professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL). He is the 2025 PFL Middleweight Tournament Champion and is widely recognized as one of the top middleweights in the sport. Edwards is the younger brother of former UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards, and the two have helped shape a notable fighting family out of Birmingham, England.
Fighting out of Erdington, Birmingham, Edwards is known for his calm composure, sharp striking, and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. As of January 27, 2026, he is ranked #2 in the PFL middleweight rankings. He competes representing Team Renegade BJJ & MMA, the gym he helped build alongside his brother.
Early Life and Background
Fabian Edwards was born in Kingston, Jamaica, where he and his family shared a single bed, one room, and a wooden house. He grew up in difficult surroundings, with his father leading a neighborhood gang under the name “The General.” Gun violence was a routine part of life in his early years, and Edwards has spoken about becoming desensitized to the sounds of gunfire around him.
When Edwards was seven years old, his parents divorced, and the family relocated to England to be closer to his father, who had moved to London. They initially settled in London before moving to Aston, Birmingham. Gangs were a presence in that neighborhood as well, and the Edwards brothers eventually found structure and direction through mixed martial arts, forming Team Renegade. When Fabian was eleven, his father was shot and killed in a London nightclub, an event that deeply shaped his upbringing.
Fabian began training in MMA at the age of 16, about five to six years after his older brother Leon had started. He first developed his skills at the Ultimate Training Centre between 2010 and 2015, before moving on to Team Renegade. His early training laid the foundation for the disciplined and technically sharp fighter he would later become.
Path to MMA
Before turning professional, Edwards compiled a perfect 9–0 record as an amateur, building a reputation as a disciplined and dangerous prospect in the British scene. To support his training, he worked as a janitor and a carpenter, balancing early-morning shifts with grueling sessions in the gym. He did not leave his janitorial job until he had signed his first professional deal, convinced that persistence would eventually pay off.
His professional journey began with Bellator on 19 May 2017, when he faced Rafał Cejrowski and won by a flying knee knockout in the first round. That highlight-reel finish earned him a multi-fight Bellator deal. Shortly after, Edwards signed with the British promotion BAMMA, where he reeled off five consecutive stoppage wins, including four consecutive finishes that announced him as one of Britain’s most promising middleweights.
Fabian Edwards Career
Early Career (2017–2018)
Edwards made an immediate impact on the British MMA scene with his Bellator debut knockout of Cejrowski in May 2017. He followed that up with a string of dominant performances in BAMMA, beginning with Aaron Kennedy at BAMMA 30, whom he submitted via rear-naked choke. He added a second rear-naked choke win over Louis King at BAMMA 33, an armbar finish of Kent Kauppinen at BAMMA 34, and a body-kick TKO of Claudio Conti at BAMMA 35. Five straight stoppage victories established Edwards as a finisher with both striking and submission tools.
Bellator MMA Breakthrough (2019–2024)
Edwards made his Bellator return on 9 February 2019 at Bellator Newcastle, defeating veteran Lee Chadwick via unanimous decision. He followed that with a hometown debut at Bellator Birmingham on 4 May 2019, where he finished Falco Neto with a series of upkicks and ground-and-pound. Later that year, he earned a unanimous decision win over Jonathan Bosuku at Bellator 223 and a close split-decision victory over Mike Shipman at Bellator London 2.
In 2020, Edwards suffered the first loss of his professional career when he dropped a split decision to Costello van Steenis at Bellator Milan 2. The following year, he lost a unanimous decision to Austin Vanderford at Bellator 259, snapping a long unbeaten run. After several bookings fell through in 2021 and early 2022, Edwards was matched with former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida at Bellator 281 on 13 May 2022, where he delivered a first-round knockout with a sharp elbow after breaking from a clinch, the biggest win of his career to that point.
Edwards continued his climb with a unanimous decision win over Charlie Ward at Bellator 287 in October 2022, and a title-eliminator unanimous decision victory over Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 296 in May 2023. He then challenged Johnny Eblen for the Bellator Middleweight Championship at Bellator 299 on 23 September 2023, losing by knockout in the third round. After a unanimous decision win over Aaron Jeffery at Bellator Champions Series 1 in March 2024, Edwards was rebooked for a rematch with Eblen, ultimately losing by unanimous decision at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants in October 2024.
Professional Fighters League Era (2025–Present)
On 25 February 2025, the promotion officially revealed that Edwards had joined the 2025 PFL Middleweight Tournament. In the quarterfinal at PFL 3 on 18 April 2025, he faced Impa Kasanganay and won by technical knockout in round two, after briefly withdrawing and being reinstated in his original spot. Edwards then outpointed Josh Silveira via unanimous decision in the semifinals at PFL 7 on 27 June 2025. In the final at PFL 10 on 21 August 2025, he delivered a head-kick knockout of Dalton Rosta in the third round to capture the 2025 PFL Middleweight Tournament Championship.
Style and Strengths
Fabian Edwards is a composed and technical middleweight whose game blends sharp striking with a high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu base. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has finished opponents via submission, knockout, and decision across his career. His clinch work, elbows, and head kicks have produced some of his most memorable finishes, including the flying knee in his pro debut and the title-winning head kick against Rosta.
Notable Events and Milestones
Edwards’s career has been defined by signature finishes, from his flying-knee debut knockout to his first-round stoppage of Lyoto Machida at Bellator 281 and his tournament-clinching head kick of Dalton Rosta at PFL 10. Becoming the 2025 PFL Middleweight Tournament Champion stands as his most decorated achievement, and his continued presence near the top of the PFL middleweight rankings keeps him firmly in title contention.
Fabian Edwards Career Wins
Across his professional career, Fabian Edwards has compiled a record of 16 wins against 4 losses, with victories split between three decisions, three submissions, and one knockout listed in summary form, alongside additional stoppage finishes documented in his fight history. His stoppage wins include flying-knee and head-kick knockouts, rear-naked chokes, an armbar, and body-kick TKOs.
PFL Highlights
Edwards captured the 2025 PFL Middleweight Tournament Championship with three consecutive victories inside the PFL cage. After a second-round TKO of Impa Kasanganay in the quarterfinal, he earned a hard-fought unanimous decision over Josh Silveira in the semifinal, before sealing the title with a third-round head-kick knockout of Dalton Rosta in the final at PFL 10. The title run cemented his status among the elite middleweights in the promotion.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond his PFL success, Edwards holds notable wins across Bellator and BAMMA, including victories over Lyoto Machida, Gegard Mousasi, Charlie Ward, Mike Shipman, Lee Chadwick, Jonathan Bosuku, and Falco Neto. He also strung together five consecutive stoppage wins early in his BAMMA tenure, a run that established him as one of Britain’s brightest MMA prospects.
Fabian Edwards Family
Family Background and Fighting Lineage
Fabian Edwards comes from a close-knit family with deep Jamaican roots, later raised in Birmingham, England. He is the younger brother of Leon Edwards, the former UFC Welterweight Champion, and the two have trained and grown together within the sport. Together they helped form Team Renegade BJJ & MMA, the gym that has anchored Fabian’s professional career since 2015.
Personal Life
Edwards resides in Erdington, Birmingham, England, where he continues to train out of Team Renegade BJJ & MMA. He has often spoken about his family, his late father, and the difficult upbringing in Kingston that shaped his discipline and drive. He remains focused on his fighting career and on representing his family and Birmingham on the global stage.
2025 Season Performance
Fabian Edwards’s 2025 campaign was defined by his run through the PFL Middleweight Tournament, where he entered as one of the favorites and delivered on the expectation. He opened with a second-round TKO of Impa Kasanganay at PFL 3, recovered from a brief withdrawal scare, and pushed forward with a composed unanimous decision over Josh Silveira in the semifinals at PFL 7. The tournament culminated in a third-round head-kick knockout of Dalton Rosta at PFL 10, earning Edwards the 2025 PFL Middleweight Tournament Championship and elevating him to #2 in the PFL middleweight rankings.
The season also marked Edwards’s seamless transition from Bellator into the PFL structure, where his mix of veteran experience and finishing ability translated well into the league’s tournament format. His performance against Rosta, in particular, signaled that Edwards has fully arrived as a championship-level finisher in the middleweight division, capable of ending fights in an instant.
Looking ahead, Edwards’s status as 2025 PFL Middleweight Tournament Champion positions him for high-profile matchups inside the PFL, including championship opportunities that could further cement his place among the elite middleweights in mixed martial arts.