Johnny Eblen faces a PFL champion this weekend, however he’s considered how he’d fare in opposition to the UFC’s middleweight champion.
At the moment No. 5 at 185 kilos within the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, Eblen sits only a few spots behind Dricus du Plessis, who gained a break up choice over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 this previous January to develop into UFC champion. Eblen brings Bellator’s middleweight title into his struggle with PFL mild heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay this Saturday.
Throughout an look on The MMA Hour, the undefeated Eblen expressed confidence in how a bout between he and du Plessis would possibly play out.
“I believe I match up with him actually, rather well,” Eblen stated. “I believe I’m a greater striker technically. I’m a greater boxer than him. I’m cleaner with my protection, cleaner with my strikes, I’m technically a greater wrestler. I’ve wrestled because the age of 4 and he’s form of a giant, athletic man that’s discovered the way to grapple and discovered the way to wrestle. I’ve been doing it since I used to be a younger child. I understand how to circulate with guys like Bo Nickal.
“I’m a school wrestler, however I can strike and I can grapple. I’ve the total package deal. I really feel like he does too, however I’m only a step above him and I’m quicker for positive. He could be a giant, sturdy dude, however I’m quicker and I’ve higher cardio and I’m higher technically than him in each side.”
One fighter who might provide Eblen some pointers if he have been ever to face off with the South African star? Sean Strickland himself.
Strickland went 5 rounds with du Plessis within the UFC 297 headliner and fell only one spherical on one judges’ scorecard wanting retaining his title. The veteran is a mainstay on the UFC Efficiency Institute in Las Vegas, and Eblen has made it a degree to coach with Strickland every time he will get the chance.
“Superior,” Eblen stated when requested what it was like working with Strickland. “Love coaching with Sean. He’s one among my favourite folks to spar as a result of it’s like a struggle.
“It’s all the time good coaching, normally after I out to Vegas I prepare with him just about the entire time. We’ll combine it up right here and there. For essentially the most half throughout the week we’ll prepare collectively loads however we’ll combine in with different guys and prepare with different guys. However on Saturday we’ll PI, 5 rounds straight, let’s go. We lock ourselves within the cage and we simply get after it, and each time we get collectively it’s all the time good rounds. I all the time really feel like I get higher after coaching with him.”
Eblen might not have the identify recognition of Strickland or du Plessis but, however he’s climbed the ranks one win at a time to the tune of an ideal 14-0 document. That run consists of two profitable Bellator middleweight title defenses. Now he appears so as to add a particular PFL vs. Bellator belt to his assortment when he fights Kasanganay on Saturday.
Kasanganay made a surprising run to the PFL mild heavyweight match championship final season and drops again all the way down to 185 kilos for a non-title bout in opposition to Eblen. PFL doesn’t at present host a middleweight division, so Kasanganay was the logical option to face Eblen when the league determined to create a “champion vs. champion” occasion.
So far as Eblen is aware of, Kasanganay was all the time the primary selection, and he expects his subsequent struggle to be a title protection in opposition to the winner of the March 22 bout between Fabian Edwards and Aaron Jeffery.
“This was actually the one possibility that was mentioned,” Eblen stated. “I believe it was up within the air to struggle Derek Brunson, however I don’t suppose he wished to struggle this early or one thing, I believe it was one thing on his finish. That was like the primary man I wished to struggle.
“Then I used to be pondering that I used to be going to struggle Impa or Jeffery, however now it appears like I’m going to struggle Impa, and Jeffery goes to struggle Fabian Edwards. … It appears like whoever wins that struggle goes to struggle for a title subsequent and I’ll be defending my title in opposition to them.”
