Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced that PFL Middleweight Champion Costello van Steenis (18-3) will defend his title against No. 1-ranked Johnny Eblen (17-1) in a championship rematch atop the upcoming PFL Austin fight card on Sat., July 18, 2026 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
“This is the fight that fans have been asking for since the moment Costello secured the rear-naked choke in the final seconds of their first world championship fight,” said PFL CEO John Martin. “There were
a lot of opinions about how that fight ended, and both fighters have something to prove. Now we have a massive rematch with everything on the line, validation for The Spaniard, or redemption for Pressure. I can’t wait to see how it plays out on July 18.”
Van Steenis and Eblen first went to war for the inaugural PFL middleweight strap at PFL South Africa in summer 2025, producing one of the most dramatic finishes in recent memory. Eblen controlled the fight and was seconds away from victory before van Steenis changed everything, securing a rear-naked choke in the final moments of the fifth round to capture the title and hand Eblen the first loss of his professional career.
“I wanted this rematch with Eblen from the moment the first fight ended,” said Van Steenis. “There’s still a lot being said about that first result, and I’m looking forward to proving, definitively, that I’m the better fighter on July 18.”
The PFL Austin main card will air live on ESPN2 in the U.S. beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The preliminary portion will start at 5 p.m. ET and can be seen on the ESPN app. Tickets for the event are available now through pre-sale by clicking here. Additional bouts will be announced shortly.
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