Before his upcoming fight, MMA fighter Johnny Eblen was pranked by social media creator ImReddttv at a Home Depot, nearly leading to a physical altercation.
Johnny Eblen had a close call. Not in the ring, but in a Home Depot.
This Saturday, he’s up against Impa Kasanganay. It’s the co-main event of the PFL vs. Bellator showdown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. But before that, Eblen almost got into a different kind of fight.
His opponent? A prankster at his local Home Depot.
Brian Butler, Eblen’s manager, posted a video on Monday. It showed Eblen being pranked by social media creator ImReddttv. Redd had previously pranked Jamahal Hill, and it almost ended badly. This time, he tried the same thing with Eblen.
Redd approached Eblen and a woman he was with. He started hitting on the woman and insulting Eblen. “You look skinny,” Redd said. “Like a little man.”
Eblen’s response was calm. “I am a little man,” he said.
Redd didn’t back down. “You look like it. I’ll try you right now,” he said, causing Eblen to laugh.
Eblen noticed someone else filming the incident. He tried to move away, but Redd kept at it. “What’s funny, little man?” Redd asked as Eblen walked away. “Sweetheart, you need to be with a real big man like me. That’s your girl?”
Eblen had had enough. “Say something disrespectful and I’ll f*** you up!” he said before walking away.
Redd tried to keep the prank going, but Eblen was done. He walked off, and Redd had to admit it was all a prank set up by Eblen’s manager. Eblen took it in stride, but he later noted on Instagram that he was close to getting violent with Redd.
The head of Eblen’s gym, American Top Team, had a suggestion. Maybe these pranks should stay stateside.
Eblen is 14-0 in his MMA career. He’s currently the No. 5 ranked middleweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.