Call Him What You Will–But Johnny Eblen is MMA’s Newest Star
Welcome to The Weekly Takedown, Sports Illustrated’s in-depth look at MMA. Every week, this column offers insight and information on the most noteworthy stories in the fight world.
Johnny Eblen: “I’m working to be the best in the world”
A month ago, while Jorge Masvidal was promoting his Gamebred Fighting Championship 5 event, his interviews were primarily focused on the headline bout between Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum.
But during one particular call, Masvidal asked to change course.
“You know what I really want to talk about?” said Masvidal. “I want to talk about Johnny Eblen.”
Courtesy Bellator
Eblen (13-0) is the reigning Bellator middleweight champion. Undefeated, he has blitzed through all nine opponents placed in front of him in Bellator, including a thorough domination of former champ Gegard Mousasi. Masvidal has trained with Eblen at American Top Team, and he is continually amazed at Eblen’s skill level.
“The next superstar in this sport is Johnny Eblen,” said Masivdal. “He’s in Bellator, but he’d be a champion in UFC, too.”
Eblen headlines Bellator 299 this Saturday in Dublin, Ireland, defending the middleweight belt against Fabian Edwards, who is the younger brother of UFC welterweight champ Leon Edwards. But for all his success, Edwards (12-2) has yet to be tested by someone of Eblen’s caliber.
There will be plenty of eyes on the outcome of this fight, and there is a very specific reason why people in the sport are so invested in Eblen. He has the potential to be MMA’s next breakout star, and he plans on taking the next step in that ascent at Bellator 299.
“I’ve been working out with him since he was an amateur, and he keeps getting better,” said Masvidal. “If the UFC bought Bellator, it would be great to see the UFC guys fight the Bellator guys, and they’d have a star with Eblen.”
The frontrunner to buy Bellator is the PFL. But no matter where Eblen competes, he needs recognition as one of the best in the world. Eblen’s attacks, defense, and finishes are all incredible, and there is every reason to believe his title reign will continue well beyond Saturday.
“Saturday is a chance for me to defend my championship, which I’m honored to do,” said Eblen, 31. “I get to have a fist fight and get paid for it. I really can’t think of a better way to spend my weekend.”
In addition to being a world-class fighter, Eblen is also a nickname connoisseur. He just retired his most recent nickname–The Human Cheat Code–which replaced Diamond Hands, which came before Seoulja Boy (paying homage to his Korean descent) and Jeblen, a nickname that stuck from college.
“Nicknames are fun to me,” said Eblen. “They’re a lot like your fight game. It can’t be static–it should always be changing. So that’s why my nicknames keep evolving.”
Eblen’s newest nickname is Johnny Pressure, referring to his relentless pressure in the cage.
“It will probably change again soon,” said Eblen. “But this one connects to my fighting style and how I break people.”
The next goal for Eblen is to force Edwards into a world of pressure, one that he has yet to encounter in the cage.
“I’m working to be the best in the world,” said Eblen. “I’m going to show that on Saturday.”
Colby Covington thrust back into the spotlight with title shot at UFC 296
Leon Edwards has not lost since December of 2015.
Colby Covington will seek to change that at UFC 296.
Courtesy Colby Covington
In a fight announced last night by UFC CEO Dana White, Edwards will defend his welterweight title against Covington in December. The bout takes place nearly eight years to the date since Edwards’ last loss, which was suffered against Kamaru Usman. Since then, Edwards (21-3, 1 NC) has won 11 fights in a row, including two victories against Usman.
But Covington is a real threat. His cardio and power make him special, as well as his elite wrestling. He will prove to be a very difficult puzzle to solve, though he also enters this bout with serious question marks.
Covington (17-3) has been inactive since March of 2022, when he defeated Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision. Prior to that, the former interim champ fought once in 2021, once in 2020, and twice in 2019. Two of those bouts were losses in title bouts to Usman, and the victories were Masvidal and Tyron Woodley (both of whom are no longer active fighters in the UFC). Edwards will likely test the 35-year-old Covington, who is three years his senior, as soon as this fight begins.
This should be an extremely compelling fight. Another successful title defense would add to Edwards’ legacy. For Covington, it would entirely change his legacy if he were able to have a reign as undisputed champion.
