Fresh off a couple of wins under the Dirty Boxing banner, The Ultimate Fighter 29 middleweight winner Bryan Battle will be looking to make a splash in his PFL debut.
Battle (12-2, 1NC), who was released by the UFC last year despite being on a 4-0, 1NC run, will take on Johnny Eblen (16-1) in the main event of PFL Pittsburgh at the UPMC Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA on March 28, 2026.
Promotion officials announced the booking via press release on Tuesday.
Missouri’s Battle, despite his success, struggled with weight during his UFC tenure, missing twice as a welterweight, then blowing the middleweight limit for a would-be fight with Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC 319. Hitting the scales at 190lbs, a catchweight was initially agreed upon, but the fight was later cancelled.
As for Johnny Eblen, the former Bellator MMA middleweight champion suffered the first loss of his professional career in July, with the inaugural PFL middleweight championship on the line. After a solid start, Eblen was submitted by Costello van Steenis late in the fifth round.
Eblen, who trains with American Top Team, holds wins over Gegard Mousasi, Fabian Edwards, and Impa Kasanganay, among others.
Speaking of Kasanganay, he’ll also be taking part in the PFL Pittsburgh card. Kasanganay (19-6) has been paired up with Dalton Rosta (11-2) in a second middleweight clash that will serve as the night’s co-main event. Rosta will be fighting at home for that one.
