The PFL main event winner at Saturday might want to take his new belt home as a carryon and not in his checked luggage. The extra weight might incur an extra charge.
Johnny Eblen (16-0) will go into his middleweight title fight against Costello van Steenis (16-3) as, technically, the Bellator 185-pound champion. If he wins at PFL Champions Series: Africa in Cape Town, the belt he’ll leave with is the PFL middleweight title.
And that piece of hardware has been revealed. PFL’s description of it: “a 12-pound masterpiece crafted from aircraft-grade metals, plated in 24-karat gold and mirror-polished nickel, adorned with 175 sparkling stones.”
Eblen said in a statement released by the promotion that he preferred the new belt to the one he has currently, which migrated over from Bellator after the PFL bought the promotion and dissolved it.
Eblen beat Gegard Mousasi three years ago to win Bellator’s middleweight title and defended it twice before the PFL merger. Since then, he beat Impa Kasanganay in a Bellator vs. PFL champ-vs.-champ matchup and defended the belt again, but under the PFL banner, against Fabian Edwards.
Fan favorite van Steenis has won four of his past five, but most recently his Von Flue choke win over Gregory Babene 14 months ago and a highlight-reel head kick KO in a featured bout at the PFL 2024 championships caught enough attention to warrant a title shot.
“This looks good on me because I’m a real champion. This is coming home with me. I’m going to give my life for this one,” van Steenis said in a statement about the new belt.
For the first time, the PFL has set up shop in Africa for a Champions Series event at the southern tip of the continent in Cape Town, South Africa. It will mark the first major MMA event on the continent. PFL Champions Series: Africa takes place at GrandWest Arena in Cape Town. The card streams on ESPN+ at 5 p.m.
