Johnny Eblen vs. Bryan Battle Set to Headline PFL Pittsburgh
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PFL will make their promotional debut in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 28th. A pivotal middleweight main event is scheduled between Johnny Eblen and the debuting Bryan Battle.
In the co-main event, Pittsburgh’s own Dalton Rosta returns to competition following his run in the 2025 PFL World Tournament. He will look to use his size, athleticism, and physical style to deliver a strong performance in front of the local crowd.
Eblen’s Redemption Run Begins
Johnny Eblen returns to the cage with something new attached to his name — a loss. After steamrolling his way to 16 straight wins and a world title, the former Bellator champion hit a stumbling block in Cape Town, where a late submission ended his unbeaten run.
Now he comes into Pittsburgh with a point to prove. Eblen built his reputation on relentless pressure, smart wrestling, and a pace few middleweights could match. One setback doesn’t erase that, but it does sharpen the edges.
March 28 is his chance to reset, re-center, and reestablish himself as one of the elite at 185 pounds. A locked-in, motivated Johnny Eblen tends to be a problem. And, he’s walking into the Steel City with exactly that mindset.
Battle Steps Into the Fire
Bryan Battle wastes no time easing into his new home. Instead, he’s diving straight into the deep end for his PFL debut, and doing it in the night’s headline slot. The former Ultimate Fighter winner arrives with momentum after back-to-back first-round finishes outside the UFC, proving he can still shut the lights out when opportunities appear.
His departure from the UFC raised questions, but his recent form has answered a few of them. Battle hasn’t tasted defeat since 2022, and the confidence from that run shows. Now, he walks into the PFL with a chance to immediately shake up the middleweight hierarchy.
Taking on a top-tier talent like Eblen right out of the gate is bold. But, Battle isn’t known for playing it safe. If he can pull this off, he instantly becomes one of the most compelling names in the division.
Steel City Spotlight for Rosta
Dalton Rosta gets the kind of moment fighters dream about, a major co-main event slot in his hometown. Fresh off a run to the 2025 PFL World Tournament Finals, the Pittsburgh native returns with momentum and a chance to deliver in front of a crowd that knows him well.
Physically imposing, explosive, and still evolving, Rosta’s style tends to wake up an arena quickly, and a home-field advantage only amplifies that.
Across from him stands former PFL tournament champion Impa Kasanganay, a fighter who rarely takes a backward step. Kasanganay brings experience, versatility, and composure to every matchup. So this will be a true test of where Rosta stands in the middleweight landscape.
Add in the rivalry between their South Florida training bases, and this co-main event has all the ingredients to steal the show.
PFL’s Pittsburgh debut marks an important step in the promotion’s expansion, bringing a high-stakes card to a new, energized market. With Eblen, Battle, Rosta, and Kasanganay all showcased, March 28 shapes up as a key early date on the 2026 schedule.
A contender looking to rebound, a debuting force, a hometown favorite, and a former champion all sharing the spotlight gives this event real weight in the middleweight division. If the matchups deliver, Pittsburgh’s first PFL card won’t be its last.
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