Bellator very well may have found its next superstar in its middleweight champion.
This past Saturday, Johnny Eblen defended his title for the first time since he dominated all-time great Gegard Mousasi to win it in 2022. Eblen (13-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) cruised to a unanimous decision win over Anatoly Tokov (31-4 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) in the Bellator 290 co-main event.
Eblen made the most of his opportunity. Not only did he get a win in his first title defense, but he did it on national television. Bellator 290 at at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., had its three-fight main card broadcast on CBS. And after he beat Tokov in front of that national audience, Eblen made sure to tell the MMA world he thinks he’s the world’s best 185-pound fighter right now.
