Costello van Steenis (18-3, 3-0 PFL) will face Johnny Eblen (17-1, 3-1 PFL) in a middleweight bout at PFL Austin in Texas on June 18, 2026. Their first fight occurred in July of last year, when van Steenis won by rear-naked choke late in the bout to capture the championship. This rematch gives Eblen an opportunity to reclaim the title he lost. The event takes place in Texas and features one of PFL's most significant title rematches.
PFL has confirmed a middleweight championship rematch between Costello van Steenis and Johnny Eblen, set for PFL Austin in Texas on June 18, 2026.
Van Steenis, known as "The Spaniard," enters the bout with a 16-3 record and holds the PFL middleweight title after submitting Eblen via rear-naked choke late in their first meeting in July of last year. The 33-year-old from Spain stands six-foot-one with a 77-inch reach — a significant stretch advantage heading into the rematch. His game leans toward submission grappling, averaging 1.58 submission attempts per 15 minutes, and he carries a 50 percent striking accuracy.
Eblen, nicknamed "Pressure," arrives hungry to reclaim the title he once held. The 34-year-old American was unbeaten before that first encounter and brings elite striking output to the cage, landing 12.3 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 63.4 percent accuracy. At six-foot-one with a 74-inch reach, he matches van Steenis in height but cedes three inches in reach. His current PFL record stands at 3-1 following that championship loss.
Note: The verified database records for both fighters show different win totals than the figures cited in the official fight announcement, and AgentMMA is reflecting the database-verified records above.
Why it matters
- Van Steenis holds the PFL middleweight title and a first-fight victory over Eblen, giving the division clear stakes
- Eblen's elite striking accuracy against van Steenis's submission-heavy approach sets up a classic striker-versus-grappler dynamic
- A win for either fighter consolidates their standing as the dominant middleweight in PFL's 2026 season
