PFL News & FeaturesJohnny Eblen Releases Statement on First Career Defeat at PFL Cape Town
If Johnny
Eblen had survived 10 more seconds, his undefeated record would
likely have remained intact.
That’s not how things worked out, however, as the American Top Team product suffered a submission loss to Costello van Steenis at the 4:51 mark of Round 5 in their middleweight championship clash at PFL Cape Town on Saturday. Eblen racked up on early lead on the scorecards behind his wrestling, but van Steenis began to gain momentum on his fading opponent in the fourth frame. That continued into Round 5, when the Dutchman pulled off one of the year’s biggest upsets by forcing Eblen to tap to a rear-naked choke in the waning seconds of the fight.
“The fight game is unpredictable—that’s what makes it so incredible,” Eblen wrote. “I was up on the cards heading into the [fifth], just steps from the finish line. But in the final seconds, I made a mistake, gave up position, and it cost me the fight. I own that. Respect to Costello—you’re a warrior and a tough challenge. But this story isn’t over. We’ll run it back. You may have won the battle, but I will win the war.”
The 33-year-old Eblen began his MMA career with 16 consecutive triumphs, besting the likes of Gegard Mousasi, Fabian Edwards (twice) and Impa Kasanganay along the way. That run prompted some in the MMA community to label Eblen as one of the top middleweights in the sport, regardless of promotion. However, “Pressure” struggled at times in recent outings against Edwards and Kasanganay, perhaps providing a blueprint for van Steenis to follow in the deep waters of the fight.
In a separate post on X, Eblen reiterated his desire for a rematch against van Steenis.
The 32-year-old van Steenis was a significant underdog according to most sportsbooks heading into the fight, but the nine-time Bellator veteran has won five of his last six professional outings dating back to 2020.
“Everything I wished for, this is a dream come true,” van Steenis told the PFL. “It feels like I’m on top of the world.”
That’s not how things worked out, however, as the American Top Team product suffered a submission loss to Costello van Steenis at the 4:51 mark of Round 5 in their middleweight championship clash at PFL Cape Town on Saturday. Eblen racked up on early lead on the scorecards behind his wrestling, but van Steenis began to gain momentum on his fading opponent in the fourth frame. That continued into Round 5, when the Dutchman pulled off one of the year’s biggest upsets by forcing Eblen to tap to a rear-naked choke in the waning seconds of the fight.
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DOUBT. HIM. NOW.
— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 19, 2025
Costello van Steenis REAR NAKED CHOKE WITH 10 SECONDS LEFT!!#AndNew PFL Middleweight World Champion!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/eAby40lnU6
Eblen recently reacted to his first career defeat in a statement on
his Instagram account.
“The fight game is unpredictable—that’s what makes it so incredible,” Eblen wrote. “I was up on the cards heading into the [fifth], just steps from the finish line. But in the final seconds, I made a mistake, gave up position, and it cost me the fight. I own that. Respect to Costello—you’re a warrior and a tough challenge. But this story isn’t over. We’ll run it back. You may have won the battle, but I will win the war.”
The 33-year-old Eblen began his MMA career with 16 consecutive triumphs, besting the likes of Gegard Mousasi, Fabian Edwards (twice) and Impa Kasanganay along the way. That run prompted some in the MMA community to label Eblen as one of the top middleweights in the sport, regardless of promotion. However, “Pressure” struggled at times in recent outings against Edwards and Kasanganay, perhaps providing a blueprint for van Steenis to follow in the deep waters of the fight.
In a separate post on X, Eblen reiterated his desire for a rematch against van Steenis.
I want a rematch. ASAP.
— Johnny Eblen (@JohnnyEblen) July 21, 2025
The 32-year-old van Steenis was a significant underdog according to most sportsbooks heading into the fight, but the nine-time Bellator veteran has won five of his last six professional outings dating back to 2020.
“Everything I wished for, this is a dream come true,” van Steenis told the PFL. “It feels like I’m on top of the world.”
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