Johnny Eblen Record, stats and next fight

Analysis

Johnny Eblen rules the PFL middleweight division after dominating the same weight class at Bellator for several years. The American holds a record of 18 wins and just 1 loss, built on a college wrestling base. Crowned interim PFL champion in July 2026, he now holds both the former Bellator belt and the title of the new organization born from their merger.

Background

Johnny Eblen was born on December 13, 1991, in Des Moines, Iowa. He started wrestling in high school, becoming a state champion with Park Hill High School in Kansas City, then wrestled NCAA Division I at the University of Missouri. His college career totaled 87 wins against 24 losses, marked by several injuries, including a torn meniscus and a dislocated shoulder that ended his final season, and closed with a qualification for the NCAA tournament in 2015.

After college, Eblen moved to Florida, worked for a paving company and coached wrestling part time. He was introduced to mixed martial arts by Steve Mocco, a former Olympic wrestler and coach at American Top Team, the gym he joined in 2016 and where he still trains.

Professional Career

Johnny Eblen made his professional MMA debut in 2017 with regional promotion Shamrock FC, where he put together four finishes in a row. He signed with Bellator MMA in 2019 and first moved up through decisions, before picking up the pace with finishes: a knockout of Daniel Madrid in May 2021, then a TKO of Collin Huckbody later that same year in December.

On June 24, 2022, at Bellator 282, he beat Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision to become Bellator middleweight world champion. He defended the belt twice, against Anatoly Tokov in February 2023 and by knockout over Fabian Edwards that September, before a third defense, again against Edwards, took place under the PFL banner in October 2024, after the two organizations merged.

In July 2025, Eblen suffered the first loss of his professional career, by submission to Costello van Steenis, in the fight for the inaugural PFL middleweight title. He returned to the win column in March 2026 against Bryan Battle, then beat Impa Kasanganay by TKO on July 18, 2026, in Austin, Texas, to claim the interim PFL middleweight title after van Steenis withdrew.

Fighting Style

Johnny Eblen builds his game around college wrestling, with ground control and chokes that have earned him several of his wins, including his rear-naked choke finish of Bryan Battle. He rounds that base out with striking solid enough to count seven wins by knockout or TKO, making him a well-rounded champion rather than a pure decision wrestler. His opponents compete in a middleweight landscape otherwise dominated by organizations like the UFC, where Dricus Du Plessis, Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland sit atop the rankings.

Record

• Professional record: 18 wins, 1 loss
• Wins by knockout or TKO: 7
• Wins by submission: 2
• Wins by decision: 9
• Titles: Bellator middleweight world champion with three defenses, interim PFL middleweight champion
• Honors: unbeaten for the first eight years of his professional career, until his loss to Costello van Steenis in July 2025

Fighter Info

• Nickname: Pressure
• Born: December 13, 1991, in Des Moines, Iowa, United States
• Nationality: American
• Height: 6’1″ (185 cm)
• Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)
• Reach: 6’2″ (188 cm)
• Division: Middleweight
• Team: American Top Team
• Base: Wrestling

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org