MMA
Johnny Eblen wants Sean Strickland bout: ‘We fight each other for free’
Published
2 months agoon
Johnny Eblen (above) says a Sean Strickland fight would be
different outside the gym. | 📷: PFL MMA
Johnny
Eblen and Sean
Strickland never go easy on each other.
Eblen and Strickland have developed a strong friendship despite
training at different gyms. Moreover, Strickland frequently
campaigns for Eblen to get a
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract in the future. The
reigning UFC titleholder recently said that he wouldn't mind
putting his middleweight belt on the line against Eblen and the
latter would happily oblige.
Johnny Eblen explains why friendship would not stop a fight
with Sean Strickland
Eblen recently explained why he doesn't mind fighting Strickland
even though they are friends. He says he'd rather fight Strickland
for money since they anyway do it for free in the gym. Eblen
revealed that they go hard against each other in sparring sessions
and often use big gloves as they are both looking to land
damage.
However, Eblen clarifies that neither one is looking for a finish
if they see that the other is rocked. Having grown up wrestling
since the age of four, the interim
Professional Fighters League middleweight king is also no
stranger to competing against his teammates.
“I’d be happy to fight him,†Eblen told Ariel Helwani. “We fight
each other for free. It's not that we're trying to take away from
each other. We’re just competitors. Even when we spar, we spar
hard. It’s not easy rounds, man. We spar with big gloves because
we’re trying to crack each other. Obviously, if someone gets dazed
a little bit, we’re not trying to go in for the kill because we’re
training. But it’s just competition, man. I grew up competing
against my friends my whole life. I started wrestling from the age
of four and you wrestle your teammates all the time.â€
A welterweight
title fight headlines PFL Washington DC: Tune on Saturday, July 25
at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Eblen (18-1) knocked out Impa
Kasanganay en route to a third-round finish to win the interim
PFL middleweight title in Austin, Texas. Strickland (31-7) had
flown to Florida to help Eblen in camp at the
American Top Team.
Johnny
Eblen explains why he’d have no issue fighting Sean
Strickland despite their friendship:“I’d be happy to fight him. We fight each other for free.
We’re just competitors. Even when we spar, we spar hard. It’s not
easy rounds, man. We spar with big gloves because we’re… pic.twitter.com/WTt9stC7ho— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
July 22, 2026
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Video: All 7 UFC 331 finishes from a wild night in Los Angeles
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7 hours agoon
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Arman Tsarukyan wants Ilia Topuria fully healed before potential grudge match: "Once I become champion, we'll talk"
Published
7 hours agoon
September 21, 2026
Zuffa LLCArman Tsarukyan believes a clash with Ilia Topuria is inevitable, but he doesn't think it should happen until “El Matador†is 100 percent ready to go.
Tsarukyan made perhaps the ultimate case for a lightweight title shot when he knocked out Mauricio Ruffy in the first round of their UFC 331 fight with an elbow. “The Batman†extended his winning streak to six, and four of those victories have been finishes. Even longtime UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes Tsarukyan can no longer be denied a title fight against Justin Gaethje next.
Prior to Tsarukyan's win over Ruffy, UFC play-by-play ace Jon Anik said he believes there have been discussions within the UFC brass about potentially booking a title rematch between Gaethje and Topuria. In the aftermath of UFC 331, Tsarukyan told Sport24 that he'll be willing to fight Topuria, but only after he gets his hands on Gaethje and captures the 155-pound gold (via Home of Fight).
“Let Ilia see an ophthalmologist and take some time to fully recover, maybe another four or five months,†Tsarukyan said. “Once I become champion, we'll talk. I'd be happy to fight him.â€
Topuria was battered to the point where he suffered a broken orbital in his lightweight title loss against Gaethje in the UFC Freedom 250 main event back in June. “El Matador†accused Gaethje of loading his gloves, but UFC CEO Dana White has dismissed that claim.
It's hard to imagine Tsarukyan's next fight not being contested for a UFC championship, but he won't be getting one until at least 2027. Gaethje has said that both his hands haven't fully healed stemming from injuries suffered in the victory over Topuria, and he doesn't plan on fighting again for the remainder of 2026.
Do you think we'll see Arman Tsarukyan vs. Ilia Topuria at some point next year? Join in on the conversation in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
MMA
UFC 334 odds: Ciryl Gane, Kayla Harrison favored in title fights
Published
8 hours agoon
September 21, 2026
334's lineup has been revealed, as have the opening odds.
In the main event, Ciryl Gane
is set to defend the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title against
Josh
Hokit on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The
card is co-headlined by a bantamweight title fight between Kayla
Harrison and Amanda
Nunes.
BetOnline has released its current odds for
both championship bouts, with Gane favored over Hokit and Harrison
favored over Nunes.
UFC 334 betting lines move for Gane-Hokit and
Harrison-Nunes
Gane opened at -150 and is now at -235. The Frenchman is favored to
beat the undefeated Hokit, who is currently listed at +195. Both
fighters secured finishes at
UFC Freedom 250 in their last outings. Gane was promoted to
undisputed champ after Tom
Aspinall vacated the belt.
The Harrison-Nunes line was originally released in November 2025
after they were announced for
UFC 324, with Harrison opening at -155 and Nunes at +135. The
fight fell through after Harrison sustained a neck injury and
they're finally set to collide in November.
The current women's 135-pound champ is now at -210, while the Hall
of Famer has dropped to +175.
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