One of the most exciting fighters outside of the UFC, Bryan Battle, will make his Professional Fighters League debut against a huge name.

The PFL continues to go under a massive restructuring with its fighter roster and business leadership as 2026 kicks off. One of the league’s biggest recent signings was former The Ultimate Fighter winner Bryan Battle, who signed a contract with the league after a recent two-fight stint in Dirty Boxing Championship.

Battle parted ways with the UFC following a controversial split decision victory over Randy Brown at UFC 310 in December 2024. The standout welterweight and middleweight hybrid is unbeaten through his last five MMA fights, including knockouts against Gabe Green and Kevin Jousset.

Battle is a solid get for the PFL as the league looks to continue to build momentum in 2026 and beyond. After the PFL’s recent fight announcements, it appears the league is valuing Battle’s skill set extremely high.

Bryan Battle faces a huge challenge in his Professional Fighters League debut

The league announced on Tuesday that Battle (12-2-1) will fight former Bellator/PFL middleweight titleholder Johnny Eblen in the PFL Pittsburgh main event on March 28th. This fight will mark Eblen’s return to the cage since a last-minute defeat to Costello Van Steenis in a shocking title fight upset last July.

The previously unbeaten Eblen has the chance to earn a rematch against Van Steenis with a victory over Battle in March. Van Steenis will defend the PFL middleweight championship against Fabian Edwards on March 20th.

The PFL also announced that the PFL Pittsburgh co-main event pairs former PFL titleholder Impa Kasanganay against longtime middleweight contender Dalton Rosta. Kasanganay defeated Andrew Sanchez by third-round stoppage in his most recent fight last August.

Meanwhile, Battle will look to prove that the UFC’s decision to part ways was a poor choice. If he defeats Eblen and potentially wins the PFL title over Van Steenis or Edwards, the former TUF winner would assert himself as one of the top middleweights on the planet.

The full PFL Pittsburgh card is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.