Bryan Battle will make his Professional Fighters League debut after his departure from the UFC, facing a formidable opponent in his return to MMA. The former UFC middleweight contender was released last year after missing weight in consecutive bouts, despite moving up a division. Battle rebounded quickly by winning two fights at 185lb under the Dirty Boxing Championship banner, promoted by Mike Perry and Jon Jones, and is now ready to resume his MMA career.
The PFL comeback bout will headline PFL Pittsburgh, marking the promotion’s first US event since last summer and its first show since abandoning the global tournament format. Battle will take on former Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen, who suffered his first career loss last year in a shock submission defeat to Costello Van Steenis after dominating much of the fight. The co-main event will feature 2023 light-heavyweight tournament winner Impa Kasanganay against former middleweight finalist Dalton Rosta.
PFL chief executive John Martin confirmed the matchup and said the organisation was excited to debut in Pittsburgh, calling it a major milestone. He noted the city’s strong sporting culture and highlighted that the event will be Pittsburgh’s first MMA show in nearly a decade, promising a night of elite-level competition for local fans.
