Johnny Eblen absolutely dominated Bryan Battle in the PFL Pittsburgh headliner on Saturday.
Eblen came out immediately looking to prove a point against the former UFC standout, and he did exactly that. In the first minute, Eblen secured a body lock and ragdolled Battle three times, slamming ‘The Butcher’ to the mat hard with each attempt. Battle would get slammed three more times before Eblen opted to settle in on his back.
With just under a minute to go in the first, Eblen cinched in a rear-naked choke that forced Battle to tap out.
Official Result: Johnny Eblen def. Bryan Battle via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:10 of Round 1.
It was a statement-making victory for Eblen, who was coming off his first career loss against Costello van Steenis at PFL Africa last year. With the win, ‘Pressure’ will likely get another crack at van Steenis, giving MMA fans one of the most anticipated rematches of the year.
