Johnny Eblen is one of the best middleweights not only in Bellator MMA but the entire world. He’s still without a single loss in his professional career. His next opponent has two losses in his portfolio, but both of those happened by decision. Fabian Edwards, the younger brother of the UFC Welterweight champion Leon, is the man in question, who’s determined to knock Eblen off his throne. Can he pull it off?
Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Johnny Eblen | -550 |
| Fabian Edwards | +375 |
*Odds taken from BetUS on Thursday, September 21.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland
- Date: Saturday, September 23, 2023
- Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: Showtime
Johnny Eblen Defending His Title for the Second Time
Johnny Eblen is 13-0 in his professional MMA, with another three wins in amateur MMA. After four wins in Shamrock FC, a St. Louis promotion, he joined Bellator MMA. That’s where he’s 9-0 with seven wins by decision and two by KO/TKO.
It’s strange that he hasn’t won a single Bellator fight by submission because he’s a fantastic wrestler with great grappling skills. The thing is that he used to be an amateur wrestler during his college days. This guy lands a lot of takedowns and is great when it comes to keeping the opponent on the ground.
This is how he managed to win the Bellator Middleweight title against Gegard Mousasi in the summer of 2022. He used a similar strategy against Anatoly Tokov in his first title defense. Will he go with the same tactic against Fabian Edwards as well?
Fabian Edwards Plotting an Upset
Leon’s younger bro is 12-2 with his losses happening by decision (split and unanimous). Fabian’s first loss happened against Costello van Steenis in 2020, which was followed by a loss to Austin Vanderford eight months later. Since then, however, he’s 3-0.
Edwards is a well-rounded fighter who’s got some big wins in his portfolio. In his most recent fight, he defeated Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision. His most recent finish happened against Lyoto Machida by KO.
He’s a great striker who lands a lot of punches and kicks, causing a lot of damage to his opponents. Edwards is also great on the ground, which is no surprise given that he’s a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards Prediction
Johnny Eblen is the best middleweight in Bellator MMA, that’s a fact! He’s got the skills, the fight IQ, and the motivation to beat Fabian Edwards. Sure, surprises do happen in mixed martial arts, but we doubt the underdog will win.
This, however, doesn’t mean Eblen is going to have an easy job in Dublin. This is going to be a real war in the cage, which will probably last for a full 25 minutes.
Pick: Johnny Eblen to win by decision