Costello van Steenis delivered a statement performance in Madrid, brutally knocking out Fabian Edwards with vicious elbows to defend his PFL middleweight title in front of a raucous Spanish crowd. The champion’s clinical third-round finish capped off Spain’s first major global MMA event in spectacular fashion.
Van Steenis Dominates Edwards in Title Defence
Edwards (16-5) walked into a tactical nightmare on Friday night, his wrestling-heavy gameplan backfiring spectacularly against the savvy Spaniard. With older brother Leon watching from his corner, Edwards repeatedly shot for takedowns only to find himself outgrappled and outmuscled throughout.
Meanwhile, van Steenis (18-3) looked composed and patient, weathering the early storm before unleashing hell in the third frame. This marked the second time the Spanish champion has gotten one over on Edwards, following their split decision encounter in Bellator back in 2020.
The atmosphere reached fever pitch with Real Madrid stars Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham cageside, witnessing MMA go mainstream in Spain for the first time.
Clinical Finish Caps Tactical Masterclass
Referee Blake Grice grew increasingly frustrated with the clinch work through the first two rounds, issuing warnings for inactivity and penalising Edwards twice for glove-holding. However, the champion’s patience proved golden.
Edwards visibly tired as the second round wore on, his repeated takedown attempts yielding minimal reward whilst van Steenis appeared fresh and dangerous. The writing was on the wall.
At 1 minute and 28 seconds of round three, Edwards’ tactical stubbornness finally cost him dearly. Another desperate double-leg attempt saw van Steenis unleash a barrage of short, sharp elbows that put the Birmingham-born challenger to sleep against the fence.
“Thank you to all the crowd, this is yours; this is the best country in the world,” van Steenis declared post-fight, showing remarkable class towards his fallen opponent.
Furthermore, the co-main event saw former Bellator champion AJ McKee remind everyone of his elite credentials with a dominant unanimous decision over Adam Borics, punctuated by a beautiful double-leg in the final frame.