Johnny Eblen: "I'm Clearly the Guy to Fight for the PFL Title Next"

Johnny Eblen is confident that his decisive victory over Bryan Battle positions him as the next rightful challenger for the PFL middleweight championship. His 2025 loss to current titleholder Costello Van Steenis, which came in the final seconds of their bout, was widely regarded as one of the year's biggest upsets. A rematch between them would be highly anticipated, especially given that Eblen was perceived to be winning a significant portion of their initial contest before the dramatic finish.

At PFL Pittsburgh on March 28th, Eblen secured a first-round submission victory over Bryan Battle. On the same card, Impa Kasanganay also finished Dalton Rosta in a bout that could similarly elevate a middleweight contender. Prior to his fight with Battle, Eblen was asked why he believed he deserved the next shot at Van Steenis’ title, especially after the champion's decisive defense against Fabian Edwards at PFL Madrid. He responded: "I've beaten the challenger twice. I was winning against the current champ for almost the entire fight, only to lose in the final seconds. Both Dalton [Rosta] and Impa [Kasanganay] have lost to an opponent I've defeated twice. I believe I am clearly the next in line for the title shot, and I fully deserve it after this performance."

Johnny Eblen Aims for Revenge, Reclaiming Gold, and Multiple Title Defenses

While Johnny Eblen didn't frame it as an excuse, but rather as a complete recounting of his initial fight with Costello Van Steenis, the former Bellator MMA champion had previously disclosed sustaining an injury during that training camp. He suggested that perhaps he should have withdrawn from the PFL Africa 1 bout in Cape Town, where he ultimately lost to Van Steenis.

When questioned whether a rematch with Van Steenis would offer him a sense of closure, particularly if a fully prepared and optimized Johnny Eblen competed for the belt in such a follow-up scenario, Eblen replied: "Yes, and I chose to fight, so no excuses. It happens; I've had previous camps where I've been injured and still competed, and obviously won. Things aren't always perfect, but I think that particular situation was a confluence of factors. I was traveling to South Africa, my entire corner couldn't join me because they were cornering Dustin Poirier the same weekend, and I also had an injury in camp. I believe it was just a lot to manage at once."

He added, "Yes, I think getting a rematch with a full camp, hopefully without so many simultaneous issues, would allow me to get my revenge. Honestly, at the end of the day, regardless of who holds the title, the ultimate goal is to reclaim that championship and defend it as many times as possible."