The night’s anticipated main event is no more, and instead, Eblen (17-1) will take on former PFL season champ Impa Kasanganay at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on July 18, 2026.

Promotion officials announced the change on Friday.

Eblen bounced back from his first and only career loss, to van Steenis last year, in March when he submitted former UFC fighter and TUF champ Bryan Battle inside of a round. The American Top Team standout already holds a win over Kasanganay, after the two faced off as part of February 2024’s PFL vs. Bellator card.

Then representing Bellator MMA, Eblen won the fight via split decision, though the bout is remembered as one of the more even match-ups on the card.

Kasanganay won the PFL season at light heavyweight in 2023, just prior to losing to Eblen. He’s 5-2 since, and coming off wins over ex-UFC fighter Andrew Sanchez, winner of The Ultimate Fighter 23, and Bellator standout Dalton Rosta.

PFL Austin also has its co-main event set, as #1-ranked bantamweight Sergio Pettis (25-8), a former Bellator champ and UFC contender, returns to take on Lewis McGrillen (12-1).

McGrillen is unranked, but was a 2024 PFL Europe tournament winner.

Two other fights are officially announced for the July event: at lightweight, Sergio Cossio (27-12-1) vs. Kolton Englund (15-5), and in the women’s flyweight division, Andrea Vazquez (8-3) vs. Aleksandra Savicheva (7-2).

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Announced by the promotion on Wednesday, the Austin, Texas card on July 18, 2026 at Moody Center will be headlined by champ Costello van Steenis (18-3) taking on Johnny Eblen (17-1) for the second time.

The pair’s first meeting saw van Steenis claim gold, sinking in a rear-naked choke to win via submission late in the fifth and final round. Since that July meeting, van Steenis successfully defended his title against Fabian Edwards, a longtime contender in Bellator and the PFL who won the promotion’s World Tournament last year.

Eblen, who suffered his first and only loss against van Steenis last July, bounced back at the end of March with a submission win against UFC veteran and Ultimate Fighter winner Bryan Battle. Eblen, an American Top Team standout, holds notable victories over Gegard Mousasi, Impa Kasanganay, Fabian Edwards, and others.

Winning the Bellator MMA middleweight title in 2022, he defended it three times before facing van Steenis for the inaugural PFL middleweight championship last year.

“This is the fight that fans have been asking for since the moment Costello secured the rear-naked choke in the final seconds of their first world championship fight,” said PFL CEO John Martin in a press release issued on Wednesday. “There were a lot of opinions about how that fight ended, and both fighters have something to prove. Now we have a massive rematch with everything on the line, validation for The Spaniard, or redemption for Pressure. I can’t wait to see how it plays out on July 18.”

No other fights have been announced for PFL Austin thus far.

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In the end, his game plan cost him a world championship.

Edwards, brother of former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, was controlling van Steenis along the fence in the third round, winning positioning grappling battles but leaving himself open to damage from short elbows. The challenger dropped to one knee, a bodylock in place, chasing a takedown that simply didn’t appear to be forthcoming.

Not only was the takedown not to be found, but champ van Steenis now had an opening for downward elbows, smashing away repeatedly until Edwards slumped down onto the canvas.

The fight was a rematch of the pair’s September 2020 encounter at Bellator Milan, where van Steenis also saw his hand raised. That night was a split decision; on Friday, van Steenis left no doubt. Following the fight, which came at home in Spain (van Steenis is Dutch-Spanish), the 33-year old hollered “Viva España” the a roaring crowd in Madrid.

The win adds to the resume of “The Spaniard,” who became the first man to defeat Johnny Eblen to win the PFL middleweight title. Eblen returns to action next week, facing UFC vet Bryan Battle in the main event of PFL Pittsburgh. The winner has a good shot of meeting van Steenis next.

Friday’s PFL Madrid card kicks off a busy patch for the promotion, which is eschewing the tournament format this year. It also saw the return to A.J. McKee, with the former Bellator featherweight champion defeating Adam Borics by decision in the night’s co-main event. Heavyweight Linton Vassell was also successful Friday, notching a TKO finish against short-notice fill-in Jose Augusto.

Yet it was the van Steenis named that reigned supreme in Madrid, and not just Costello. On the night’s preliminary card, brother Gino van Steenis knocked out Mark Ewen with a perfectly placed right hand inside the opening round, for a very impressive highlight reel finish.

Official Result: Costello van Steenis (c) def. Fabian Edwards by knockout, Round 3, 1:48 – for the PFL middleweight championship

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In addition to van Steenis vs. Edwards, AJ McKee returned to action, at featherweight, taking on Hungarian standout Adam Borics in another clash of Bellator MMA veterans. Also on the card, Linton Vassell was back. Originally scheduled to face 2024 PFL Global heavyweight champ Denis Goltsov, Vassell instead drew replacement opponent Jose Augusto, known as Anthony “Rumble” Johnson’s final adversary in MMA.

Where to Watch PFL Madrid

PFL Madrid takes place on Friday, March 20, 2026 at the Palacio Vistalegre in Madrid, Spain. The event airs live in the U.S. on the ESPN App, Movistar Plus+ in Spain, and talkSPORT YouTube Boxing in the U.K. Full results from the card can be found below.

PFL Madrid: van Steenis vs. Edwards Results

Costello van Steenis (c) def. Fabian Edwards by knockout, Round 3, 1:48 – for the PFL middleweight championship
AJ McKee def. Adam Borics by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Franco Tenaglia def. Yassin Najid by TKO (injury), Round 2, 5:00
Jacinta Austin def. Benita Van Rodij by knockout, Round 1, 2:40
Linton Vassell def. Jose Augusto by TKO (punches), Round 2, 2:48

Preliminary Card

Luciano Pereira def. Kevin Cordero by knockout (punch), Round 1, 2:10
Borja Garcia def. Rafael Calderon by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Gino van Steenis def. Mark Ewen by knockout (punch), Round 1, 2:43
Mattia Giordano def. Ernesto Schisano by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Claudio Pacella def. David Mora by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Ignacio Campos def. Mathys Duragrin by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Costello van Steenis faces Fabian Edwards as the Professional Fighters League starts to ramp up its 2026. While they’ve already held their successful Road to Dubai card, the next couple of weeks features big shows in Madrid, Pittsburgh, and beyond.

Both middleweight champ van Steenis and Edwards made weight on Thursday, as did co-headliners AJ McKee, back at featherweight, and Adam Borics. Linton Vassell and short-notice replacement Jose Augusto were never in question for their heavyweight fight.

Mathys Duragrin and Kevin Cordero both missed weight for their preliminary card bouts.

PFL Madrid: van Steenis vs. Edwards Weigh-In Results

Main Card

Middleweight: Costello van Steenis (c) (184.7 lbs) vs. Fabian Edwards (184.7 lbs) – for the PFL middleweight championship
Featherweight: AJ McKee (145.4 lbs) vs. Adam Borics (145.9 lbs)
Welterweight: Franco Tenaglia (167.8 lbs) vs. Yassin Najid (169.8 lbs)
Women’s Strawweight: Jacinta Austin (115.7 lbs) vs. Benita Van Rodij (115.4 lbs)
Heavyweight: Linton Vassell (242.5 lbs) vs. Jose Augusto (261.5 lbs)

Preliminary Card

137-Pound Catchweight: Kevin Cordero (136.6 lbs)* vs. Luciano Pereira (134.5 lbs)
Flyweight: Borja Garcia (125.6 lbs) vs. Rafael Calderon (125.6 lbs)
Lightweight: Gino van Steenis (155.8 lbs) vs. Mark Ewen (155.3 lbs)
Bantamweight: Mattia Giordano (136 lbs) vs. Ernesto Schisano (135.6 lbs)
165-Pound Catchweight: David Mora (164.1 lbs) vs. Claudio Pacella (164.7 lbs)
147-Pound Catchweight: Ignacio Campos (146 lbs) vs. Mathys Duragrin (146.5 lbs)*

* missed weight

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In a press release issued on Friday, promotion officials announced that 185lb champ Costello van Steenis (17-3) will make the first defense of his middleweight championship when he faces off against Fabian Edwards (16-4).

PFL Madrid takes place on March 20, 2026 at the Palacio Vistalegre,in Madrid, Spain.

Hailing from the Netherlands with Spanish heritage, Costello “The Spaniard” van Steenis dethroned Johnny Eblen in his last outing to claim his first major title in MMA. The fight ended with seconds left in the fifth and final round, as van Steenis choked the formerly undefeated Eblen unconscious.

The 33-year old now meets England’s Fabian Edwards for the second time, after winning a split decision in their first encounter in September of 2020, under the Bellator MMA banner.

Edwards, brother of UFC star and former welterweight champ Leon Edwards, has won his last three fights and claimed victory in the PFL middleweight World Tournament in the process. He defeated Dalton Rosta in the grand prix’s finale back in August to capture the tournament crown.

Fabian previously faced Johnny Eblen for a middleweight title in Bellator, only to be knocked out in the third round of their September 2023 encounter.

No other fights have been announced for March’s PFL Madrid thus far. Tickets go on sale this Monday.

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“I hope by the end of the year, I’ll fight Fabian [Edwards] or Dalton Rosta. One of them will be the next victim for me,” van Steenis (17-3) said during an appearance at PFL Hollywood this past Thursday, speaking with Cageside Press and other media outlets.

It was Edwards vs. Rosta headlining the show in Hollywood, Florida, with Edwards getting the job done by head kick later that evening. Still, there might be some surprise in not seeing a rematch between Eblen, unbeaten prior to his loss to van Steenis, and the new champ. Especially since van Steenis already has a win over Fabian Edwards as well.

“I definitely, 100% believe Johnny Eblen and I will have a rematch sooner or later. But the next fight is going to be Dalton, or Fabian,” stated van Steenis, asked about the rematch possibility. “The one that wins tonight, hopefully I can get my hands on them before the end of the year.”

Or soon, it seems. “I’m ready to go next month if I have to.”

Costello van Steenis was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands but grew up in Spain, and carries the nickname “The Spaniard.” He also carries the country’s flag as well, much like UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria.

“It’s crazy, it’s crazy. Representing the Spanish flag, my mission is to bring PFL to Spain,” stated van Steenis. “And we’re like this close to doing it. I don’t know if we can make it this year, but we have to do it next year. The people there are begging for it, and we’ve got a big army.”

The middleweight champ also touched on the rise of Spanish MMA. “Not one or two fighters, but there’s a lot of Spanish fighters making noise at the moment, that just need the exposure so that the world can see.”

Watch the full PFL Hollywood media appearance by Costello van Steenis above.

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The fight was the first for Eblen since a win over Fabian Edwards at PFL: Battle of the Giants in October. And Eblen looked as dominant as ever in the opening round on Saturday, bullying van Steenis and soon getting the fight to the ground. The champ had ample time to work on top, with van Steenis trapped in Eblen’s own corner. Eblen took the back, and it wasn’t until the final minute of the round that van Steenis was able to scramble – only to be trapped once again, eating elbows and left hands from Eblen.

Round two saw Eblen again get the fight down, putting van Steenis on his backside up against the fence. Eblen secured the legs and pulled them out from under the challenger, then postered up. Eblen moved to the back, got a hook in, and went after the rear-naked choke while his corner called for him to get another hook in. Eblen fell off, however, and van Steenis reversed, only for Eblen to scramble back to the top. A glimmer of hope for van Steenis quickly dashed. In guard, Eblen still managed to land an elbow. Costello van Steenis would return to his feet, but have to fight off another Eblen takedown attempt at the end of the frame.

In the third, a calf kick, and a high kick, was there for van Steenis in the opening minute. Yet Eblen answered with a flurry, followed by a double-leg takedown attempt that left the challenger drive into the fence again. When the takedown wasn’t there, and with the ref warning the pair to get busy, Eblen instead landed a solid punch off the break. Of note, for the first time in the fight, the duo had spent half a round on the feet. Yet Eblen soon punched his way into another takedown attempt. By the final minute, van Steenis was on his knees, Eblen controlling from the back, peppering him with punches.

Heading into the championship rounds, Eblen was clearly ahead in the fight. Yet the champ was showing a bit of damage, and less than 90 seconds in, her was taken off his feet by a calf kick. Eblen dove in on a single-leg attempt, with van Steenis defending with a guillotine, though he wasn’t in position to actually finish with it. When van Steenis broke free, he was able to fire off a bit of offense, but it wasn’t long before Eblen was back to driving the challenger against the cage. The ref didn’t like the lack of action, urging Eblen to ‘use your position,’ and later adding ‘use it if you want to keep it.’ A second warning followed, and Eblen opened up with punches before backing off, allowing van Steenis to move in with another calf kick. Costello finished the round strong, landing a kick, a combination, and battering the champ! Eblen, to some extent, was saved by the bell, though he hadn’t appeared overly wobbled, just tired and under fire.

With van Steenis likely winning round four, round five became very interesting. Had the judges seen any of the first three rounds going the way of van Steenis, the bout could potentially be tied, otherwise, Eblen was possibly up 3-1, with all rounds likely being 10-9s. In the fifth, Eblen got the fight down early, allowing him to get control of his opponent’s back. One hook was in, and the crowd was not happy after the action-picked kickboxing of the fourth. Yet Eblen clearly knew his path to victory, though van Steenis was able to power up and shake the champ off his back. Half a round was on the clock. And somehow, van Steenis then found himself on the champ’s back, with time ticking away. Up against he fence, van Steenis looked to get under the neck, and he did! The choke was in tight, and Eblen couldn’t fight the hands or push the elbow up. Nowhere to go, Eblen tired to just gut it out, refusing to tap – but he went unconscious with all of nine seconds left!!! A new champion, in a come-from-behind victory like few others.

Official Result: Costello van Steenis def. Johnny Eblen by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 5, 4:51

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The show marked the debut of PFL Africa, with the undercard dedicated to African talent and the main card doubling as PFL Champions Series 2.  That featured Eblen vs. van Steenis, two Bellator middleweight stars, plus Dakota Ditcheva, the PFL women’s flyweight champ (in a non-title fight), and ex-Bellator featherweight champ AJ McKee.

Where to Watch PFL Africa/PFL Champions Series 2

PFL Cape Town takes place on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at the GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, South Africa. The main card streams live on ESPN+, the PFL Africa portion on the PFL App. Full results can be found below.

PFL Cape Town: Eblen vs. van Steenis Results

PFL Champions Series 2 (Main card)

Middleweight: Costello van Steenis def. Johnny Eblen (c) by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 5, 4:51 – Middleweight title fight
Women’s Flyweight: Dakota Ditcheva def. Sumiko Inaba by unanimous decision
Featherweight: A. J. McKee def. Akhmed Magomedov by unanimous decision
Lightweight: Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Takeshi Izumi by unanimous decision
Heavyweight: Corey Anderson def. Denis Goltsov by TKO, Round 3, 3:28

2025 PFL Africa 1 (Preliminary card)

Bantamweight: Nkosi Ndebele def. Mahmoud Atef by TKO, Round 1, 4:50 – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal
Heavyweight: Maxwell Djantou Nana def. Mickaël Groguhe by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – heavyweight tournament quarterfinal
Bantamweight: Boule Godogo def. Shannon van Tonder by split decision (30-26, 28-29, 29-27) – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal
Heavyweight: Justin Clarke def. Jashell Ticha Awa by TKO (corner stoppage) Round 1, 5:00 – heavyweight tournament quarterfinal
Bantamweight: Karim Henniene def. Asiashu Tshitamba by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28) – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal
Heavyweight: Joffie Houlton def. Abdoullah Kane by DQ (illegal strikes), Round 1, 0:40 – heavyweight tournament quarterfinal
Bantamweight: Simbarashe Hokonya def. Frans Mlambo by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25) – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal
Heavyweight: Abraham Bably def. Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze by KO, Round 1, 4:59 – heavyweight tournament quarterfinal
Women’s Strawweight: Juliet Ukah def. Ceileigh Niedermayr by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Headlined by Johnny Eblen versus Costello Van Steenis for the promotion’s middleweight championship, carried over from Bellator MMA, PFL Cape Town also features the return of promotional darling Dakota Ditcheva, the heir apparent to Kayla Harrison in the Professional Fighters League.

With Harrison now a UFC champion and the featherweight division mothballed in favor of flyweight, it’s Ditcheva who is the company’s current “It Girl.” Her 14-0 record with a win last November over ex-UFC title challenger Taila Santos has cemented that.

Weigh-ins for PFL Cape Town take place on Friday, July 18, 2025 – results can be found below.

PFL Cape Town: Eblen vs. van Steenis Weigh-In Results

PFL Champions Series 2 (Main card)

Middleweight: Johnny Eblen (c) (185) vs. Costello van Steenis (184.6) – Middleweight title fight
Women’s Flyweight: Dakota Ditcheva (125.4) vs. Sumiko Inaba (124.6)
Featherweight: A. J. McKee (146) vs. Akhmed Magomedov (145.4)
Lightweight: Makkasharip Zaynukov (155.6) vs. Takeshi Izumi (155.2)
Heavyweight: Corey Anderson (254.6) vs. Denis Goltsov (240.8)

2025 PFL Africa 1 (Preliminary card)

Bantamweight: Nkosi Ndebele (135.6) vs. Mahmoud Atef (134.4) – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal
Heavyweight: Maxwell Djantou Nana (264.2) vs. Mickaël Groguhe (265.2) – heavyweight tournament quarterfinal
Bantamweight: Shannon van Tonder (136.2)* vs. Boule Godogo (135.6) – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal
Heavyweight: Jashell Ticha Awa (261.1) vs. Justin Clarke (239.6) – heavyweight tournament quarterfinal
Bantamweight: Asiashu Tshitamba (136) vs. Karim Henniene (135.8) – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal
Heavyweight: Abdoullah Kane (264.2) vs. Joffie Houlton (262) – heavyweight tournament quarterfinal
Bantamweight: Frans Mlambo (135) vs. Simbarashe Hokonya (135.8) – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal
Heavyweight: Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze (251.2) vs. Abraham Bably (254.6) – heavyweight tournament quarterfinal
Women’s Strawweight: Juliet Ukah (115.2) vs. Ceileigh Niedermayr (115.4)

* Van Tonder missed the bantamweight limit by 0.2lbs, will be fined a percentage of his purse, fight moves forward.

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