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Stays undefeated at Bellator 299
Eblen defeated Fabian Edwards via TKO (strikes) at 0:21 of Round 3 at Bellator 299 on September 23 in Dublin.
ANALYSIS
Eblen got to defend his belt for the second time in front of a friendly Irish crown, and in doing so, maintained his spotless 14-0 MMA record with his sixth KO/TKO victory. While many expected Eblen to wrestle here, the American Top Team product instead recognized that his opponent's respect for his takedown game led to openings in the standup, so Eblen seemed content to strike. He did face some adversity in Round 2 when an Edwards strike resulted in a nasty cut on his eyebrow, but if anything, it only ignited the champion. Eblen came out guns blazing in Round 3, eventually landing a big right hand that started the fight-ending sequence. With the victory, the 31-year-old moved into the top-5 of Bellator's pound-for-pound rankings.
Eblen got to defend his belt for the second time in front of a friendly Irish crown, and in doing so, maintained his spotless 14-0 MMA record with his sixth KO/TKO victory. While many expected Eblen to wrestle here, the American Top Team product instead recognized that his opponent's respect for his takedown game led to openings in the standup, so Eblen seemed content to strike. He did face some adversity in Round 2 when an Edwards strike resulted in a nasty cut on his eyebrow, but if anything, it only ignited the champion. Eblen came out guns blazing in Round 3, eventually landing a big right hand that started the fight-ending sequence. With the victory, the 31-year-old moved into the top-5 of Bellator's pound-for-pound rankings.
Makes first title defense
Eblen successfully defended his Bellator Middleweight Title against Anatoly Tokov via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) at Bellator 290 on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
Eblen surprised many when he pulled the upset over Gegard Mousasi last June to become the new middleweight champion. The 31-year-old was tested in his first title defense and clearly wearing the damage a bit after the fight, but it certainly wasn't a stretch to say he won every round. Things were a bit more even in the stand-up, but Eblen showed he was the far superior grappler, as he was able to lean on that aspect of his game if he ever found himself in trouble. That being said, he also wasn't afraid to get into a brawl with his opponent in the center of the cage. This style makes for exciting fights, but may not help the longevity of his title run. For now, though, Eblen is an impressive 13-0-0 as a professional and appears to be in the midst of the prime of his career.
Eblen surprised many when he pulled the upset over Gegard Mousasi last June to become the new middleweight champion. The 31-year-old was tested in his first title defense and clearly wearing the damage a bit after the fight, but it certainly wasn't a stretch to say he won every round. Things were a bit more even in the stand-up, but Eblen showed he was the far superior grappler, as he was able to lean on that aspect of his game if he ever found himself in trouble. That being said, he also wasn't afraid to get into a brawl with his opponent in the center of the cage. This style makes for exciting fights, but may not help the longevity of his title run. For now, though, Eblen is an impressive 13-0-0 as a professional and appears to be in the midst of the prime of his career.
New Bellator Middleweight Champion
Eblen defeated Gegard Mousasi via unanimous decision (50-45,50-45,50-45) to become the Bellator Middleweight Champion at Bellator 282 on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
ANALYSIS
Eblen entered this fight as a (+215) betting underdog, but he nearly put Mousasi away with a flurry in Round 1, and proceeded to dominate the rest of the affair, sweeping the judges' scorecards. As a surprise to some, he did so on the strength of his wrestling -- a skill many thought would lie in the favor of the champion. Eblen is now 12-0 as a pro and 8-0 under the Bellator banner, with six of those wins coming by way of decision. A rematch against the 36-year-old Mousasi could eventually be in the cards on the basis of Mousasi's five championship fight victories under the Bellator banner, but considering the results here, Eblen would presumably enter as the favorite.
Eblen entered this fight as a (+215) betting underdog, but he nearly put Mousasi away with a flurry in Round 1, and proceeded to dominate the rest of the affair, sweeping the judges' scorecards. As a surprise to some, he did so on the strength of his wrestling -- a skill many thought would lie in the favor of the champion. Eblen is now 12-0 as a pro and 8-0 under the Bellator banner, with six of those wins coming by way of decision. A rematch against the 36-year-old Mousasi could eventually be in the cards on the basis of Mousasi's five championship fight victories under the Bellator banner, but considering the results here, Eblen would presumably enter as the favorite.