Johnny Eblen didn’t just win a title at PFL Austin — he sent a message to the man still holding the belt he really wants. The 18-1 star blitzed Impa Kasanganay with a violent third-round knockout at the Moody Center on Friday night, claiming the PFL Interim Middleweight World Championship and immediately turning his attention to undisputed champion Costello van Steenis, who watched the destruction from cageside.

Eblen Finishes Kasanganay Trilogy Rivalry, Calls Out Van Steenis

“Pressure” Eblen made good on his nickname, closing out his rivalry with Kasanganay in brutal fashion. The two middleweights traded through the first two rounds before Eblen found his opening in round three, landing a series of heavy punches that put Kasanganay away at the 2:39 mark. The finish improved Eblen to 18-1 and handed Kasanganay, who entered the night ranked No. 3 in the division, his second straight setback.

With the win, Eblen becomes PFL’s interim middleweight world champion — but he made clear afterward that the run doesn’t stop there. Van Steenis, “The Spaniard,” was on hand to see the knockout live, and Eblen wasted no time calling for a unification bout to settle their score once and for all. The two first met in July 2025, when Van Steenis pulled off a stunning comeback to rip the title away from Eblen in the final moments. Now, with an interim belt around his waist, Eblen has the leverage — and the motivation — to run it back.

Do Nascimento, Pinedo Shine as PFL Austin Delivers Fireworks

The rest of the PFL Austin main card backed up the headline act. In the co-main event, Rafael “Mulisha” do Nascimento made a statement in his PFL bantamweight debut, taking the back of Lewis “The McGrizzla” McGrillen and locking in a rear-naked choke to force the tapout in round two, improving to 13-2 and serving early notice to the 135-pound division.

Featherweight contender Jesus “El Mudo” Pinedo also reminded fans why he’s a perennial threat in the weight class. The 30-year-old Peruvian, ranked No. 3 in the division, opened the main card by overwhelming Joey Ruquet with a vicious flurry in the closing seconds of round one, forcing a TKO stoppage and moving to 26-8-1. Elsewhere, veteran Julio Arce ground out a hard-fought unanimous decision over Caolan Loughran across three competitive rounds, improving to 22-7 and keeping his name in the featherweight mix.

On the prelims, unbeaten prospect Gamid Khizriev stole the show with a rare twister submission over Biaggio Ali Walsh, while Aleksandra Savicheva, Ashley Thiner, Jackson Glass and Victoria Alba all picked up statement wins to keep their undefeated or near-unblemished records intact.

Full PFL Austin Main Card Results:

• Johnny Eblen (18-1) def. Impa Kasanganay (20-7) via KO (punches), Round 3, 2:39
• Rafael do Nascimento (13-2) def. Lewis McGrillen (12-2) via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:07
• Julio Arce (22-7) def. Caolan Loughran (11-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Jesus Pinedo (26-8-1) def. Joey Ruquet (10-5) via TKO (strikes), Round 1, 4:50

Preliminary Card Results:

• Gamid Khizriev (5-0) def. Biaggio Ali Walsh (4-2) via submission (twister), Round 1, 2:32
• Aleksandra Savicheva (8-2) def. Andrea Vazquez (8-4) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Ashley Thiner (3-0) def. Mia Grawe (3-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Jackson Glass (4-0) def. Zak Flessas (2-2) via TKO (strikes), Round 1, 1:47
• Victoria Alba (7-2) def. Borena Tsertsvadze (6-2) via TKO (strikes), Round 3, 4:50

Upcoming PFL Schedule:

• Saturday, July 25 — PFL Washington D.C., CareFirst Arena, Washington, D.C.
• Friday, July 31 — PFL New York Presented by Arkham, UBS Arena, Belmont Park, Long Island, New York
• Friday, August 7 — PFL Charlotte, Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Saturday, August 22 — PFL Tampa Presented by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, Tampa, Florida