Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen is set to fight PFL light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay this weekend, and has expressed confidence in his potential to match up well against UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, citing his superior technical skills, speed, and cardio.
Johnny Eblen’s got a big fight this weekend. He’s squaring off against a PFL champ, but he’s also been mulling over how he’d do against the UFC’s middleweight champ.
Eblen’s currently ranked No. 5 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. He’s just a few spots behind Dricus du Plessis, who clinched a split decision over Sean Strickland at UFC 297. That win made du Plessis the UFC champ.
Eblen’s not just any contender. He’s bringing Bellator’s middleweight title into his fight with PFL light heavyweight champ Impa Kasanganay. That’s happening this Saturday.
Eblen’s got a lot of confidence. He recently appeared on The MMA Hour, where he talked about how he’d fare against du Plessis.
“I think I match up with him really, really well,” Eblen said. He believes he’s a better striker, a better boxer. His defense and strikes are cleaner. He’s also a better wrestler, having wrestled since he was four.
Eblen’s got the full package. He’s a college wrestler who can strike and grapple. He feels he’s a step above du Plessis, faster, with better cardio and better technique.
One person who could give Eblen some tips? Sean Strickland. Strickland went five rounds with du Plessis in the UFC 297 headliner. He fell just one round short of retaining his title.
Strickland’s a regular at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Eblen’s made it a point to train with him whenever he can. “Awesome,” Eblen said about training with Strickland. “Love training with Sean. It’s like a fight.”
Eblen’s not as well-known as Strickland or du Plessis yet. But he’s been climbing the ranks, one win at a time. He’s got a perfect 14-0 record, including two successful Bellator middleweight title defenses.
Now, Eblen’s looking to add a special PFL vs. Bellator belt to his collection. He’s fighting Kasanganay on Saturday.
Kasanganay had a surprising run to the PFL light heavyweight tournament championship last season. He’s dropping back down to 185 pounds for a non-title bout against Eblen. PFL doesn’t currently host a middleweight division, so Kasanganay was the logical choice for this “champion vs. champion” event.
Eblen’s pretty sure Kasanganay was always the first choice. He’s expecting his next fight to be a title defense against the winner of the March 22 bout between Fabian Edwards and Aaron Jeffery.
“This was really the only option that was discussed,” Eblen said. He thought he might fight Derek Brunson, but Brunson didn’t want to fight this early. “Then I was thinking that I was going to fight Impa or Jeffery, but now it looks like I’m going to fight Impa, and Jeffery is going to fight Fabian Edwards. … It looks like whoever wins that fight is going to fight for a title next and I’ll be defending my title against them.”