Outside Source
Johnny Eblen owns two victories over Fabian Edwards. | Bellator MMA/Lucas Noonan
Professional Fighters League’s debut in Pittsburgh will feature a pair of former title holders at the top of the card.
In the evening’s headliner, ex-middleweight king Johnny Eblen will lock horns with recent signee Bryan Battle, while former light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay will square off against Dalton Rosta in the co-main event at 185 pounds. The PFL announced the bouts on Tuesday. PFL Pittsburgh takes place on March 28 at the UPMC Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The main card will air on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
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“The PFL is excited to make its debut in one of the most passionate and storied sports towns in America when we visit Pittsburgh,” PFL CEO John Martin said in a release. “This city has a deep-rooted sports culture and fans who consistently show up and support their teams at the highest level. Bringing the PFL to Pittsburgh marks a major milestone for us, and it’s especially meaningful as it will be the city’s first MMA show in nearly 10 years. We look forward to delivering an unforgettable night of world-class mixed martial arts and introducing the PFL experience to a fanbase that truly appreciates elite competition.”
Middleweights in Steel City
Eblen lost for the first time in 17 professional outings at PFL Cape Town, where he relinquished the 185-pound strap in a fifth-round submission loss to Costello van Steenis this past July. The 34-year-old American Top Team standout owns notable triumphs over the likes of Fabian Edwards (twice), Kasanganay and Gegard Mousasi.
Battle, who won Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” was released from the UFC last year after missing weight badly ahead of back-to-back bouts. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native compiled a 7-1 mark with one no contest during his UFC tenure and finished five of his Octagon triumphs inside the distance. More recently, “The Butcher” remained active with a pair of first-round stoppage victories under the Dirty Boxing banner.
Kasanganay won the PFL light heavyweight championship in 2023 and was a 205-pound finalist in 2024. The UFC veteran competed in the PFL middleweight tournament this past year, falling to Edwards via second-round TKO in the opening round. In his most last outing, the Kill Cliff FC product scored a third-round stoppage of Andrew Sanchez on Aug. 21.
Rosta, meanwhile, reached the finals of the PFL middleweight tournament with victories over Sadibou Sy and Aaron Jeffrey before falling to Edwards via Round 3 KO in the championship. Rosta went 9-1 in Bellator MMA before debuting with PFL last year.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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