Johnny Eblen VS Impa Kasanganay

Johnny Eblen defeated Impa Kasanganay by TKO (elbow) at 2:39 of round three to capture the interim PFL Middleweight Championship in the main event of PFL Austin on July 18, 2026 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Eblen dictated the pace across three rounds, working behind his wrestling before landing the decisive elbow that prompted the stoppage. The bout was a rematch of their August 2024 meeting at PFL vs. Bellator, which Eblen won by split decision, making this his second consecutive victory over Kasanganay. The interim title was created after reigning PFL middleweight champion Costello van Steenis withdrew from his planned rematch with Eblen due to injury, with Kasanganay stepping in as the replacement.

In a rematch carrying interim PFL middleweight gold, Johnny Eblen and Impa Kasanganay revisit a first meeting that Eblen edged via razor-thin split decision at PFL vs. Bellator in 2024, with many observers believing Kasanganay deserved the nod. Eblen, an elite NCAA Division I wrestler and former Bellator champion who went 17-1 overall, now faces Kasanganay, who has bounced back with a knockout at PFL Pittsburgh and enters hungry for a definitive answer.