Edwards earned the title opportunity after winning the PFL’s 2025 middleweight tournament, and was looking to become champion after two defeats by Johnny Eblen for the Bellator middleweight title.
Edwards was also looking to join his brother Leon, who is a former UFC welterweight champion, as a title holder, but was made to pay for a number of errors.
After walkouts in which a confident Edwards was jeered by the Spanish fans and a determined-looking Van Steenis was roared to the cage, the contest started with the pair trading leg kicks.
In a close first round, Edwards made his first mistake as Van Steenis reversed the action on the ground to end in top position, despite blood pouring from his left eye.
In tactics rarely used by Edwards, the Briton looked to attack with takedowns but Van Steenis got the better of the early exchanges by flipping the momentum to control where the fight went.
When Edwards opted to strike, he looked faster and more dangerous than Van Steenis, but another mistake in the third round would prove to be his downfall.
Edwards again continued to wrestle and, while trying to take Van Steenis down against the cage, the champion delivered a flurry of elbows which forced the Briton to collapse on his knees.
Seeing Edwards was in trouble, the referee stepped in to end the contest, before Van Steenis put both arms out in celebration and closed his eyes as he soaked in applause from the home fans.
Defeat for Edwards caps a miserable period for the Birmingham fighter, after Leon suffered his third straight defeat when being knocked out by Carlos Prates in November.
Despite a third defeat in a championship fight, Van Steenis says Edwards still has what it takes to win a world title.
“He is one of the guys that could have been champion and could be champion in the future, but not by fighting me,” said Van Steenis.
“I was really surprised that he tried to wrestle me. In the first fight he was really cocky and aggressive. In this fight, he didn’t really look at me that much.
“He is one of the best fighters in the world and so am I. It takes two people to make a great fight. Fabian can beat anybody in the world, it was just my lucky night tonight.”