Van Steenis Submits Eblen to Win PFL Middleweight Title
Costello van Steenis submitted Johnny Eblen with a rear-naked choke at 4:51 of Round 5 at PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai in Cape Town on July 19, 2025. Van Steenis won the PFL middleweight championship and ended Eblen’s unbeaten record.
A late fifth-round finish
Eblen controlled much of the contest before van Steenis found the finish in the final seconds. The result was one of the year’s most dramatic title changes and headlined the PFL’s Cape Town card, which also launched PFL Africa’s first-round tournament.
Cape Town hosts PFL Africa
The event was part of the PFL’s Cape Town card, which also launched PFL Africa’s first-round tournament. Van Steenis left as champion after the late submission.
The card combined the PFL Champions Series with the launch of PFL Africa, making Cape Town a major event for the promotion. Van Steenis had previously challenged for the Bellator middleweight title and used his opportunity to take the championship from an unbeaten opponent. The finish came with only seconds left in the scheduled five-round fight. Van Steenis had challenged Eblen before and used this rematch to reverse the earlier result, securing the title with a submission in the closing seconds.
Related reporting and sources: MMA · boxing · PFL · Boxing · Combat Sports
