It’ll be hard for Johnny
Eblen to top the fight that earned him the Bellator MMA
middleweight championship.
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The American Top Team product claimed 185-pound gold with a
five-round verdict over Gegard
Mousasi in the Bellator 282 main event last June. After
vanquishing one of the sport’s all-time great middleweights, Eblen
will face a lesser known commodity in his first title defense when
he locks horns with Anatoly
Tokov in the
Bellator 290 co-main event. While Tokov isn’t a household name,
his seven-fight winning streak in Bellator and gaudy 31-2 overall
mark made him an attractive opponent to Eblen.
“It’s just another challenge, another step in the right direction,”
Eblen said at a press conference on Wednesday. “It’s the reason I
called him out in the first place. I knew about his record. I knew
he was 7-0 in Bellator. And I know he’s really good. So I want to
take him out and put on a show in front of all these fans and on
CBS.”
While the 31-year-old Eblen only recently emerged as one of the
sport’s top talents at 185 pounds, Saturday will represent a chance
for him to build his fanbase. Not only does Bellator 290 mark the
promotion’s debut on CBS, but it is headlined by heavyweight legend
Fedor
Emelianenko’s farewell fight, as he squares off against
Ryan
Bader in the evening’s main event. Eblen looks forward to being
able to showcase his skills on a prominent stage.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity,” he said. “The fact that I’m a part
of this card on CBS fighting on the same card as a legend in Fedor
and Bader … so this is a big card. A lot of eyes are going to be
watching. I’m excited to put on a performance and have fun.”