Johnny Eblen happy with PFL but left wanting more: 'Money can only do so much'
Eblen (16-0) is set to return to the PFL smart cage, inaugurating the promotion's PFL Africa wing – which is scheduled for July 26 at GrandWest Arena in Cape Town. He takes on Costello van Steenis (16-3) in his first PFL middleweight title defense. Considered one of the best fighters outside the UFC today, many have wondered about Eblen's contractual situation with PFL and whether or not he'll be the next man to leave for the UFC.
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Speaking to MMA Junkie Radio, Eblen pulled back the curtain on his situation, going into detail of where he stands.
"I have three fights left on the contract, this is one of three, the one I'm fighting at in South Africa," Eblen explained. "That's kind of where I'm at. It's my Bellator contract. It's not a PFL contract. I think they have matching rights for a year after. That's pretty much all I know about the contract they acquired. That's it. Either I fight it out, which I really doubt I'm going to get three fights by March 2026, or it expires, and technically I'd be able to see what's out there."
Unlike Patricio Freire and Patchy Mix, Bellator champions who were released from their PFL deals after airing their grievances publicly, Eblen is happy with how he's treated by the promotion. He's happy with his compensation and is getting fights.
However, he can't help but want to test himself against the big middleweights over in the UFC so he can prove to the world he's indeed the best at 185 pounds.
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"I think it's better to have those conversations in private and see where that gets you before taking it to Twitter or X or Instagram," Eblen said. "But they've been feeding me well. I've been happy there. I'm not upset. The only thing that kind of frustrates me is that I'm only able to fight certain people, and I can't really extend outside of it and the odds of them bringing in people that make sense for me to fight to really raise the status of my stock, it doesn't look super probable. So, you know, that's kind of where I'm at with my relationship with PFL.
"I really hope they do well because I think it's important for promotions outside the UFC to give opportunities to fighters. They're a great company, they've treated me well, they treat a lot of people well. A lot of people making a lot of money through PFL, they're great. But there comes a point in time, money can only do so much. I want to find out. I want to fight the DDPs and the Khamzat Chimaevs, and they're not in PFL."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Johnny Eblen happy with PFL but unsatisfied in one respect
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The money and infrastructure have also allowed the kingdom to bring in top coaching talent. At the last WAFCON, Morocco were coached by Reynald Pedros, who managed Lyon to Champions League titles in 2019 and 2020. Their new coach, Jorge Vilda, led Spain to a 2023 World Cup win before being sacked amid the scandal of Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales nonconsensually kissing Jenni Hermoso. The core of the team plays their football locally and is led by captain Ghizlane Chebbak, the daughter of former men's international Larbi Chebbak. She is the face of women's football in Morocco and is already considered a legend of the game. Chebbak is backed up by talented wingers Fatima Tagnaout and Sakina Ouzraoui Diki as well as the Saudi Women's Premier League's top-scorer, Ibtissam Jraidi. Advertisement The standard has never been higher in Africa, and with the continent's new 'big four' all hitting new heights the tournament is set to be peak competition. 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Oshoala, potentially Nigeria's greatest talent, is still the star of the show, but she is surrounded by seasoned internationals. Brighton & Hove Albion's new goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie shone in the World Cup and for Paris FC when they knocked out Arsenal in last season's UEFA Champions League. Like South Africa, the Super Falcons have had their own problems with being paid by the federation, even boycotting training themselves at the last WAFCON. While Nigeria still retain the largest depth of talent, the new face of emerging African football is Zambia. Banda scored the winner in the NWSL final last year as Orlando Pride won their first title and was named in the team of the season. Oshoala's Bay City team-mate Kundananji lines up along Banda up front for Zambia, but this isn't a two-player team. Advertisement Led by Pride forward Grace Chanda, the Copper Queens came third at the last WAFCON without Banda or Kundananji. They defeated the 11-time champions Nigeria in the third-place match, and this time they're ready for more. Morocco and Zambia are joined in Group A by Senegal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, making their return to the continental stage after 13 years away. Nine-time champions Nigeria lead Group B and will be joined by North African sides Tunisia and Algeria, as well as Botswana, who made the quarter-finals in their first appearance in the competition three years ago. Meanwhile, champions South Africa are joined in Group C by Mali and Tanzania. We've been made to wait a long time for it, but this WAFCON promises to be the most exciting one yet.
