Middleweight champion Johnny Eblen defended his title against Fabian Edwards at Bellator 299 with a third-round TKO, despite a dangerous cut on his eyebrow, and afterwards denied allegations of spitting on the unconscious Edwards, stressing he was expressing his victory aggressively but never aimed to disrespect anyone.
In a noteworthy defense of his middleweight title at Bellator 299, Johnny Eblen managed to win against Fabian Edwards and secure a third-round TKO victory. The fight didn’t come easily; Edwards had managed to inflict a severe cut on Eblen’s eyebrow, triggering an urgent response from the champion to make the move and score the winning stoppage. Eblen later recounted, “I wasn’t really sure how bad it was. When they looked at my cut, they all agreed it was a bad cut. I felt an urgency that I needed to make a big move, because I wasn’t sure if this fight would be stopped because of the cut.”
Eblen responded to his critical situation by going on the offensive, landing heavy punches and strategizing to steer the fight to the ground. Eblen pushed himself: “I turned it up. I needed to land heavy shots, and get this fight to the ground, advance, and get to finishing positions. I felt more urgency in the third, and that was my game plan. The cut made it feel more like, ‘Hey man, we’ve got to get this done sooner rather than later.'” Eblen’s approach worked, with the fight ending just 21 seconds into the third round.
Things took an undesirable turn, however, when Eblen found himself nearly exchanging blows with Edwards’ brother, UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, after a charge was made that Eblen allegedly spat on an unconscious Fabian. Eblen has since denied doing so and admitted that though he was too caught up in his victory, he did not intentionally spit on anyone. He acknowledged getting too heated in his post-victory fervor. “I should have been a good sport,” Eblen admitted. “I’m sorry that he thinks I did that.” He attempted to rectify the situation later, after having some time to cool down.
Success in the ring has not sidetracked Eblen from his plans for the future. He now holds a 10-0 record inside the Bellator cage, including two successful title defenses under his belt. He is eager to set the stage for a quick turnaround and continue asserting his top-ranking status in contention for being one of the best fighters in the world. Speculating his future in the ring, Eblen mused: “Whatever can happen quicker – is going up a weight class and fighting for a 205 belt. It’s an interest of mine…it’s going to legitimize my name, and it’s what the GOATs [Greatest of All Time] do. They don’t just stay in one weight class, they move weight classes and they prove that they’re actually pound-for-pound, one of the best fighters in the world.”