Sean Strickland: Johnny Eblen would be 'fighting for the belt' in UFC
· Yahoo Sports
Sean
Strickland confirms that not all the best fighters in the world
are a part of the
UFC roster.
Strickland recently shared high praise for his training partner Johnny Eblen. Following a sparring session with Eblen, Strickland joked that the UFC should never sign “Pressure.” Strickland wants Eblen to stay put in the Professional Fighters League because he would be a threat to the entire UFC roster. Strickland believes Eblen would be competing for a UFC title if the promotion signed him.
“Never let this man come to the UFC,” Strickland said on his Instagram Stories. “Keep his ass where he’s at. F—-ing savage, bro. If this man was in the UFC, he’d be fighting for the belt.”
Eblen (17-1) is widely considered one of the best fighters in the world outside of the UFC. The former Bellator MMA middleweight champion also continued his reign at PFL when the promotion took over Bellator. Eblen was a massive -550 favorite going into his title defense against Costello van Steenis last year. However, van Steenis handed Eblen his lone professional loss by choking him unconscious with nine seconds left in the fight in one of the biggest upsets in PFL title fight history. Eblen has since rebounded with a first-round submission win over UFC alum Bryan Battle last month.
Strickland recently shared high praise for his training partner Johnny Eblen. Following a sparring session with Eblen, Strickland joked that the UFC should never sign “Pressure.” Strickland wants Eblen to stay put in the Professional Fighters League because he would be a threat to the entire UFC roster. Strickland believes Eblen would be competing for a UFC title if the promotion signed him.
Championship Talent
“Never let this man come to the UFC,” Strickland said on his Instagram Stories. “Keep his ass where he’s at. F—-ing savage, bro. If this man was in the UFC, he’d be fighting for the belt.”
Eblen (17-1) is widely considered one of the best fighters in the world outside of the UFC. The former Bellator MMA middleweight champion also continued his reign at PFL when the promotion took over Bellator. Eblen was a massive -550 favorite going into his title defense against Costello van Steenis last year. However, van Steenis handed Eblen his lone professional loss by choking him unconscious with nine seconds left in the fight in one of the biggest upsets in PFL title fight history. Eblen has since rebounded with a first-round submission win over UFC alum Bryan Battle last month.
Sean Strickland believes Johnny Eblen is too dangerous for the UFC roster
"Never let this man come to the UFC. Keep his a** where he’s at. If this man were in the UFC, he’d be fighting for the belt."
(Via @SStricklandMMA ) pic.twitter.com/rqEMhaI76b— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) April 22, 2026
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