The PFL heads to Africa this Saturday to continue their “Champions Series” portion of the event calendar.
It certainly isn’t getting the same buzz as its UFC 318 counterpart Saturday, but it still has some fights worth taking a look at while its World Tournament series remains on hiatus for another few weeks before the finals get underway.
The main event will feature a PFL Middleweight Title fight between former Bellator Champion Johnny Eblen opposite Costello van Steenis. Eblen won his PFL Super Fight Series debut against Fabian Edwards this past October to run his record to 16-0.
Johnny Eblen celebrates after fighting Impa Kasanganay during the 2024 PFL vs Bellator: Champs event at Kingdom Arena. / (Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
The pair may fight again at some point in the near future if Edwards beats Dalton Rosta in the middleweight tournament final, prior to determining who PFL’s best overall middleweight is.
In the eyes of many, however, Eblen is the best middleweight outside of the UFC by a longshot. He already holds two wins over Edwards, which is saying a lot considering that Edwards’ brother is former UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards.
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Nevertheless, Eblen maintained an undefeated mark in Bellator from 2019-2023 before the PFL purchased the company. He won just three fights by KO/TKO out of his 10 wins, defeating longtime MMA veteran Gegard Mousasi as his biggest resume booster.
Eblen’s opponent, van Steenis, is no slouch either. At 16-3, he may be one of the most unique challenges Eblen has faced to date. Van Steenis has lost once since 2019. Similarly to Eblen, van Steenis also has some impressive wins, including those against Mike Shipman and Fabian Edwards, too.
Check out the betting odds for the 14-fight card Saturday, as the Main Card gets underway on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Odds are as of Friday morning, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
PFL
Main Card (ESPN+, 2 p.m. ET)Early Card (PFL App, 10 a.m. ET)
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