PFL still lacks the middleweight division that it can use to give Bellator fighters their counterpart opponents. Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen, nonetheless, believes there are lots of fighters available he can count on. And of the several names he called out, Derek Brunson is the first to respond, saying there is a chance for them to meet if PFL pushes it.
Eblen recently named four possible opponents he’s been eyeing due to the absence of the middleweight division in the PFL. To recall, the promotion plans to allow its champions to face those of Bellator after purchasing it, but the lack of bantamweight and middleweight in PFL makes it troubling for some Bellator fighters. Eblen, nonetheless, believes there are still other options for him, naming Brunson, Impa Kasanganay, Aaron Jeffrey, and Jake Paul as his possible opponents.
Having the fighters face him is not impossible: Aaron Jeffrey is currently ranked at No. 4 in Bellator’s Middleweight division, Paul has a plan to make his MMA debut in 2024, and light heavyweight fighters Brunson and Kasanganay are known for their middleweight fights back in UFC. Among the names Eblen mentioned, Brunson is the one to respond to affirm this possibility.
“For sure, there’s a chance,” Brunson told MMA Fighting. “Johnny Eblen is a top guy, a top fighter. I’ve heard from a lot of accounts that he dominated Sean Strickland. I know they trained together. That’s hearsay but I’m just hearing that he’s that good.
“We can get it done. PFL, they know how to get it done. You want to motivate me to run every single day and invest into the camp, we can definitely get that fight and go out there and put on a good fight. I’m confident in my abilities to get the win there.”
While this should sound like good news for Eblen, Brunson stressed that it still depends on PFL’s plans.
“Like I said, money talks,” Brunson said. “There’s a possibility. It’s a quick turnaround but I like how PFL does things. They’re going to pay you your value and I’m sure they know that guy’s a top guy, a champion, so if they want to get it done, they know how to reach out to my agent and put together some numbers, and we can put together a tough, hard-nosed training camp and get the job done.”
