Bellator champ Johnny Eblen details how MMA pulled him from darkness

Johnny Eblen holds a significant promotional title – however that pales compared to the life accolades his MMA success has helped him obtain.

To place it frankly, the relationships Eblen (14-0) made early in his combined martial arts path might have saved his life, the Bellator middleweight champion lately advised MMA Junkie Radio.

“I used to be misplaced, man,” Eblen mentioned. “I wasn’t centered on the best issues. I used to be in search of short-term pleasures and it as a foul time in my life. It might’ve gone south. I might’ve not discovered preventing. I might simply be depressing proper now, bro. I may very well be lifeless or in jail or only a depressing human. I’m glad I met Steve Mocco and I’m glad he obtained me into the fitness center. I’m so grateful that I met Mike Brown, that I met ‘King Mo’ (Muhammed Lawal). I met Naudi Aguilar via Practical Patterns and that actually modified my life rather a lot.

“There’s lots of people I met all through my life publish that point interval and it actually modified me for the higher and helped me grow to be the person I’m at the moment.”

That’s why all of the theoretical debates of who holds standing as the perfect fighter on the earth means little to Eblen, when put in perspective. Eblen thinks different fighters may gain advantage in the event that they got here to the identical realization.

“I truthfully don’t even take into consideration that sh*t,” Eblen mentioned. “I simply take into consideration getting higher daily, maintaining my well being, making an attempt to take advantage of out of this life on the subject of my relationships and what I do on a day-to-day foundation, and simply attempt to grow to be a greater individual. I feel that’s extra necessary than all this f*cking belt sh*t and all of the faux hype that actually doesn’t matter. I imply, I do that for enjoyable, man. Nobody is counting on me profitable this f*cking combat aside from myself, to feed myself and make more cash. Aside from that, if I f*cking lose, nothing modifications on the earth.

“I really feel like a number of fighters put a number of added stress for no purpose on one thing that actually doesn’t actually matter. I’m a man that may see that. I’m like,’Oh, that is only a competitors.’ It’s for leisure. The outcomes actually don’t matter. I don’t actually put a number of stress on myself, man. I simply attempt to grow to be the perfect fighter that I can. When combat evening comes, I simply attempt to placed on actually good performances as a result of that’s my job – to be an entertainer. That’s what I’m right here to do.”

Eblen, 32, returns Feb. 24 towards 2023 PFL gentle heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay (15-3). The bout takes place as a part of the PFL vs. Bellator: Champions occasion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for PFL vs. Bellator: Champions.