I was on the end of the most viral MMA KO of all time and became homeless… now I’m a world champion and a millionaire

IMPA KASANGANAY was connected the receiving extremity of the astir viral KO successful MMA past - but it was the BEST happening to ever hap to him.

Kasanganay had fought his mode into the UFC done Dana White's contender bid erstwhile helium faced Joaquin Buckley successful October 2020.

And the bout would spell down successful past aft the spinning backmost footwear Buckley landed successful circular 2 was 1 of the astir seen of each time.

The stunning knockout became the UFC's most-watched Instagram video ever with over 17.8 cardinal views.

Kasanganay was chopped by the UFC 2 fights and 1 twelvemonth aboriginal - falling connected hard times afterwards.

He decided to unrecorded retired of his centrifugal successful the car parkland of his gym successful Deerfield Beach, Florida - but it was determination wherever helium plotted a sensational comeback.

As past year, Kasanganay would triumph the Professional Fighters League play to go light-heavyweight champion and a $1million winner.

But much than anything, it meant the American kept a committedness helium made to his begetter successful the ambulance conscionable moments aft the viral KO.

He told SunSport: "I think, 'Thank God that happened to me.' Because it truly propelled maine similar a slingshot. I deliberation you person to ain those moments.

"I've had radical travel up to maine and they accidental they'd ne'er combat again if that happened to them, however they wouldn't beryllium capable to woody with it.

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"I've had fighters archer me, 'How bash you ticker that and conscionable look past it?' But it was however I was raised. I could person near the nonaccomplishment ain maine but I owned the failure.

"If you ain the failure, you ain the success. I told my dada successful the ambulance, 'Watch, I'll triumph my adjacent fight.' And I did. I said I'd extremity up satellite champion, too.

"I could've fto nary 1 spot me, I could've gone backmost to enactment arsenic an accountant, I could've changed my name. I could've done a batch of things possibly different radical would do.

"But for what? I person a small member and a small sister, if they saw maine discontinue past to maine it would springiness them the excuse to."

Kasanganay opted against moving backmost to his parents successful North Carolina aft becoming homeless.

He alternatively lived retired of his car to bid time and nighttime astatine the Kill Cliff FC gym, wherever helium was led to the PFL rubric and $1m prize past November.

Kasanganay, 30, said: "There's moments wherever I retrieve sitting successful the car, journaling.

"Using the edifice wifi crossed the street, waking up aboriginal successful the greeting to deed the gym, taking a ablution earlier the squad got in.

"They're each moments successful my beingness wherever I'm like, convey God I stuck with it. And I didn't determination backmost to North Carolina wherever my parents are.

"Any clip I person a situation successful beingness present I ever recognise that I've been done it earlier and I tin flooded anything.

"When I look connected it, I'm like, 'Hey, you was sleeping successful your car and present you're satellite champion.' I won the $1million.

"It keeps maine grounded and it truly makes maine admit things."

Kasanganay won his 2 qualifying PFL bouts successful 2023 earlier triumphing successful the semis and last stages.

Now helium finds himself successful the nonstop aforesaid spot 12 months on, challenging for his 2nd $1m PFL prize.

Kasanganay faces Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov connected Friday successful Saudi Arabia successful a bid to clasp his 205lb throne.