Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen and 2023 PFL light heavyweight winner Impa Kasanganay put on one of the best fights of the year.
Eblen and Kasanganay fought in the co-main event of PFL vs. Bellator in Riyadh. It was a back-and-forth battle with Eblen and Kasanganay dealing heavy blows in all aspects of the fight.
Kasanganay fought his timing and range with his striking in the opening minutes of the fight. He shocked Eblen with a massive punch that dropped him in Round 2, nearly finishing the action by TKO.
Eblen bounced back well for the end of Round 2, utilizing his superior wrestling and grappling to slow Kasanganay's pace. The two middleweights traded big shots in Round 3, but Eblen landed more damage and smothered Kasanganay on the ground.
After three rounds, Eblen took home the split decision victory and the Super Belt that was handed to the seven PFL vs. Bellator main card winners.
Twitter reacts to Johnny Eblen vs. Impa Kasanganay
Here's what Twitter had to say about Eblen vs. Kasanganay.
Impa showing up for @PFLMMA 🥊💯 #PFLvsBellator
— Larissa Pacheco (@lpacchec) February 24, 2024
What a f**king fight #PFLvsBellator
— Anatomy of a Fighter (@WillHarrisAOAF) February 24, 2024
Bro giving him the hands @kingimpa
— Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) February 24, 2024
Impa Kasanganay is teeing off on Johnny Eblen. #PFLvsBellator
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) February 24, 2024
Honestly this has been an amazing recovery from Eblen. I forgot to score R1 so not sure what the cards will look like, but if it was tied than Johnny really gutted this one out. #PFLvsBellator
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) February 24, 2024
Damn, that should have been 5 rounds
— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) February 24, 2024
Laaaame
That fight with Impa and Elben should’ve been 25 minutes
— Kevin Lee MTP (@MoTownPhenom) February 24, 2024
Hell of a fight between Eblen and Kasanganay. These fights should have been five rounds. #PFLvsBellator
— Matthew Wells (@MrMWells) February 24, 2024
Eblen remains unbeaten in his professional MMA career and is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in MMA. After earning the Bellator middleweight belt by defeating Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 282, he successfully defended the title against Anatoly Tokov and Fabian Edwards.
Kasanganay's win streak comes to a screeching halt with the loss to Eblen. But, the PFL star will now look ahead to the 2024 PFL season and a chance to win back-to-back world championships.
After some early issues with the ESPN broadcast, PFL vs. Bellator presented a slew of entertaining fights to the viewing audience. It was a largely dominant showing for Bellator who won the majority of the fights against current and former PFL champions.
If you missed the action at PFL vs. Bellator, you can catch up on all the results and highlights here.