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Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen seemed surprised by the promotion’s announcement for a vacant light heavyweight title fight.
In late 2023, Bellator began a new chapter as PFL bought them out and decided to merge the two MMA promotions. Over the next few years, Bellator is expected to continue running events, with several of their top fighters scheduled to compete under the PFL banner.
On March 22, Bellator will travel to Belfast, Northern Ireland, for their first event since partnering with PFL. In the main event, UFC veteran Corey Anderson will take on Karl Moore for the vacant light heavyweight title after Vadim Nemkov decided to prioritize the heavyweight division.
MMA Junkie recently re-posted the news on Instagram by saying:
“The new era of Bellator begins with Corey Anderson and Karl Moore fighting for the belt vacated by Vadim Nemkov 🏆”
The Instagram comment section was filled with fighters and fans reacting, including undefeated Bellator middleweight king Johnny Eblen saying this:
“Oh d*mn”
Corey Anderson parted ways with the UFC in 2020 and made his Bellator debut in November. Since then, ‘Overtime’ has established a 4-1 record, including a no-contest against Vadim Nemkov that took away his chance of winning one million dollars and the 205-pound title during the light heavyweight Grand Prix.
Anderson now looks to write his wrongs by acquiring Bellator gold before it’s too late. To do so, the 34-year-old must get through Karl Moore, who will have a hometown advantage on March 22. Moore holds a 4-0 promotional record since making his Bellator debut in Feb. 2019.
When and who is Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen fighting next?
Johnny Eblen is one of the few fighters that Bellator can say has world-class talent without receiving backlash. Since making his promotional debut with a 4-0 record, Eblen has won ten consecutive fights against Anatoly Tokov, Gegard Mousasi, John Salter, Fabian Edwards, and more.
On Feb. 24, the Bellator middleweight champion will be featured in the highly-anticipated PFL vs. Bellator event, which goes down inside the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia. Eblen is scheduled to fight in the co-main event, where he will defend his 185-pound throne against 2023 PFL middleweight tournament winner Impa Kasanganay.
