Johnny Eblen Submits Bryan Battle in PFL Pittsburgh Main Event

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) launched its inaugural event in "The Steel City," Pittsburgh, on Saturday, delivering an electrifying evening of combat sports to fans gathered at the UPMC Center.

Headlining PFL Pittsburgh, former Bellator World Champion and top-ranked PFL middleweight Johnny Eblen made a powerful return to form. After experiencing his career's first defeat, Eblen decisively secured a first-round submission victory against the No. 9-ranked Bryan Battle, who was making his promotional debut. This dominant performance firmly positions Eblen for a potential rematch against the reigning PFL Middleweight World Champion, Costello van Steenis.

Local hero and fourth-ranked Dalton Rosta, fighting out of Pennsylvania, entered the PFL cage with overwhelming hometown support as he faced third-ranked Impa Kasanganay. Despite the fervent backing, "Hercules" couldn't secure the win. Both fighters traded powerful strikes, delivering significant damage, but a decisive sequence from Kasanganay ultimately sent Rosta to the canvas face-down, prompting the referee to intervene and halt the contest.

Making an impressive PFL debut, tenth-ranked flyweight Ariane Lipski da Silva delivered a strong performance against fifth-ranked Sumiko Inaba. Lipski dominated the striking exchanges and dictated the fight's tempo from start to finish. Her sharp striking technique and calm demeanor allowed her to consistently land effectively while effectively neutralizing Inaba's offensive attempts, leading to a clear unanimous decision win.

The highly anticipated featherweight clash between the eighth-ranked Alexei Pergande and ninth-ranked Julio Arce delivered on its promise of intense action. Both fighters transformed the octagon into a gory arena, exchanging powerful blows in stand-up striking and engaging in dynamic scrambles on the mat. Ultimately, the ascendant Pergande emerged victorious with a unanimous decision.

The undefeated ninth-ranked Cuban bantamweight, Lazaro Dayron, maintained his perfect record, earning a unanimous decision win over Jacob Thrall. Dayron's superior wrestling was on full display, as he successfully executed seven takedowns throughout the three-round bout.

PFL Pittsburgh Main Card Results:

• #1-Johnny Eblen (17-1) defeated #7-Bryan Battle (12-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:10 of round one
• #3-Impa Kasanganay (20-6) defeated #4-Dalton Rosta (11-3) via knockout at 3:18 of round one
• #10-Ariane Lipski da Silva (18-11) defeated #5-Sumiko Inaba (8-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• #8-Alexei Pergande (8-0) defeated #9-Julio Arce (21-7) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• #9-Lazaro Dayron (10-0-1) defeated Jacob Thrall (15-8-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Preliminary Card Results:

• Jack Cartwright (14-2) defeated Allan Begosso (10-4-1) via split decision (29-28, 27-28, 29-28)
• #5-Jakub Kaszuba (16-0) defeated #6-Natan Schulte (25-6-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Dakota Bush (16-4) defeated Robert Watley (16-4) via KO at :34 of round one
• Ernesto Rodriguez (11-1) vs. #9-Masayuki Kikuiri (11-4-1) via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Tatiana Postarnakova (7-0) defeated Elora Dana (8-2) via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
• Josh Fremd (12-6) defeated Jarrah Al Salawi (21-6) via knockout at 3:57 of round three
• Fred Dupras (10-2) defeated Ethan Goss (12-9) via technical submission (guillotine) at 2:46 of round one