Johnny Eblen will look to push his undefeated record to 14-0 (10-0 Bellator) this weekend (Sat., Sept. 23, 2023) when he puts his Middleweight title on the line against Fabian Edwards in the main event of Bellator: “Dublin” inside O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland.
With two title defenses under his belt already, Eblen isn’t planning to slow down anytime soon, but knows he has a stiff challenge in Edwards, winner of three straight. In his assessment, however, Edwards isn’t trying to get involved in a tough, grueling fight as opposed to trying play it safe.
“He’s athletic, moves well, good kickboxer, fast,” Eblen said of Edwards in an interview with New York Post. “I’ve heard from one of my teammates he’s a pretty strong individual,” says “But the thing that doesn’t impress me is he doesn’t really want to be in the fire. He wants things to be a lot cleaner. He wants it to be more technical.”
Edwards has seven finishes on his resume — four knockouts and three submissions — to go along with five decision victories, so he has proven he is well-equipped to getting the job done in anyway possible.
The fighting Englishmen has a close connection to a current UFC champion in the form of his brother, Welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, who has helped him polish his game ahead of the title fight. But, Eblen also has a connection to the promotion’s newest title holder, Sean Strickland.
“He helped me train for the [Gegard] Mousasi fight. I went out to [Las] Vegas,” Eblen explained. “He hit me up. We started training a bit. We became training partners and friends. And every time I’m out in Vegas, I make sure to get rounds with him and make sure to train with him. And anytime he’s in Florida, usually he comes by [American Top Team].”
Iron sharpens iron.
Bellator: “Dublin” will also feature a pivotal Featherweight fight between Aaron Pico and Pedro Carvalho. In addition, Mads Burnell will take on Daniel Weichel, while Sinead Kavanagh tangos with Sara Collins in a women’s Featherweight affair.
To check out the latest Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive news archive right here.