Some think that jumping into a title shot at this point in his
career might be a little too much, too soon for Johnny
Eblen.
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But after taking a clear-cut victory over former No. 1 contender
John
Salter at Bellator 276, Eblen believes he is exactly where he’s
supposed to be: preparing for a middleweight title shot against
Gegard
Mousasi in the
Bellator 282 headliner on June 24.
“I think we’re right on the right path,” he said at a Bellator 282
virtual press conference. “This is the next best fight for me.”
After cutting his teeth in MMA with four victories under the
Shamrock FC banner, Eblen has gone 7-0 in Bellator. Salter is his
most notable victory by far, but the resume of past opponents pales
in comparison to that of Mousasi’s. However, Eblen is confident
that he hasn’t shown his full potential in a fight as of yet.
“I like being the underdog. I really don’t mind it. The only thing
that matters is when I’m in that cage and I’m putting on a show and
I’m showing what I’m really capable of with high-level opponents,”
Eblen said. “People that know me, people that watch me train,
people that watch me spar know what I’m capable of. I haven’t
really shown what I’m capable of with high level opponents like
Gegard. That’s why I’m really excited to put on a show and fight
him for five rounds.”
Eblen realizes that a victory over Mousasi, one of Bellator’s top
talents and one of the top middleweights in the world, will raise
his profile considerably.
“Of course I’ve thought about it. Yeah, It’s gonna solidify my name
and it’s gonna start my legacy,” he said. “I think I’ve already
started my legacy and people are starting to take notice. This is
going to put a big exclamation point after my name. People are
actually going to be talking about me.”
Mousasi has said that he doesn’t expect any surprises from Eblen,
who is known primarily for his wrestling. To expect a one
dimensional game plan would be a mistake, Eblen warns.
“I think it’s gonna be fun. I like Gegard’s style. There’s things I
can do based off his style,” Eblen said. “I’m sure he’s thinking
the same thing about me … It’s gonna be exciting. Don’t think I’m
just gonna come in and wrestle. I’m a lot more than a
wrestler.”