Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen faced an unexpected twist just days before his scheduled title defense against Fabian Edwards. With only 11 days remaining before the Bellator London card, Eblen’s fight was suddenly moved without any clear explanation. Instead of facing Edwards in London, Eblen will now defend his title at a PFL pay-per-view event in Saudi Arabia on October 19.They just moved the fight, Eblen told.
“Not sure exactly what happened. I was prepared to fight in London and I was actually pretty excited for it. But you know they moved it, I’m a company man so I did what they wanted me to do. They took care of me though, so there’s no issue and now I’m ready to go fight in Saudi Arabia.”
Although the change disrupted his initial preparation, Eblen quickly adapted. He adjusted his training schedule by taking some time off and resuming light training before ramping back up for the new fight date. While the shift in location threw a wrench in plans for friends and family who had planned to attend the London event, Eblen is keeping his focus on the fight, not the location.
“It changed a lot,” Eblen shared. “Like I said, they took care of me. I’m not having any issues with it. I took a couple of weeks off, did some light training and then I’m going to peak again [Oct. 19] and I leave in two and a half [weeks].”
Despite the challenges, Eblen remains unfazed. Whether it’s facing an opponent he knocked out last year or competing in a different country, the champion is ready to do his job and get the win.
“They’re just going to put somebody in front of me and that’s the person that I’ve got to fight, regardless of who it is… As long as the check clears, I’m good.”
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