Eblen outworks Edwards in rematch to retain Bellator middleweight title

Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen defeated Fabian Edwards via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) to retain his title for the third time at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Eblen and Edwards met for the second time after Eblen scored a third-round knockout victory in their first fight in September 2023. Edwards, the brother of former UFC welterweight champ Leon, earned another crack at the belt by beating Aaron Jeffery at Bellator Champions Series Belfast in March.

Eblen relied on his wrestling to cruise past Edwards in the rematch, completing several takedowns throughout the bout.

Edwards rallied in the fifth round, landing elbows and body shots on the feet, but it wasn't enough to swing the scorecards in his favor.

Eblen remained undefeated and lifted his professional record to 16-0 with the victory. He was coming off a split-decision win over 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay in a February non-title bout. The American Top Team product has held the Bellator belt since beating Gegard Mousasi in 2022.

Edwards, now 1-2 in his last three appearances, fell to 8-4 in the promotion.