Johnny Eblen wanted to get back sooner but showed no ring rust when it came time to finally return.
At PFL Pittsburgh, Eblen (17-1) made quick work of recent UFC fighter Bryan Battle (12-3) with a rear-naked choke that conjured a tap at 4:10 of Round 1. The three-round middleweight bout headlined Saturday’s event at UMPC Events Center in Pittsburgh.
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It was a fast, one-sided affair as Eblen tossed Battle to the canvas and then got the back where he locked in a rear-naked choke. Eblen told MMA Junkie before the fight that he felt he should’ve been the first title defense of champion Costello van Steenis, and he put more evidence behind that claim by defeating a former “TUF” winner.
Eblen likely aligns himself for van Steenis, who defeated Fabian Edwards eight days prior at PFL Madrid. The bout will be a rematch of van Steenis’ come-from-behind victory in July, which ended in the waning seconds of the final round.
Battle comes up short in his promotional debut. He succeeded during his UFC tenure, compiling a whopping 7-1 record. However, his toughest opponent was his own weight. Battle missed weight across multiple divisions, which directly led to his promotional release.
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Johnny Eblen def. Bryan Battle via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:10
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Impa Kasanganay def. Dalton Rosta via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:18
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Ariane da Silva def. Sumiko Inaba via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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Alexei Pergande def. Julio Arce via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Lazaro Dayron def. Jacob Thrall via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
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Jack Cartwright def. Allan Begosso via split decision (29-28, 27-29, 29-28)
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Jakub Kaszuba def. Natan Schulte via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
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Dakota Bush def. Robert Watley via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:34
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Ernesto Rodriguez def. Masayuki Kikuiri via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Tatiana Postarnakova def. Elora Dana via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Josh Fremd def. Jarrah Al-Silawi via knockout (punch) – Round 3, 3:57
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Fred Dupras def. Ethan Goss via technical submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:46
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: PFL Pittsburgh results: Johnny Eblen runs through Bryan Battle
