After the celebration of PFL Pittsburgh, the focus was especially on the middleweight division, a category that came out of the event with several important pieces moving at the same time. The main proposal places Johnny Eblen against Costello van Steenis in a rematch with the title at stake. The logic of that crossover is based on two facts that are connected to each other: on the one hand, the champion had just defended his belt against Fabian Edwards in Madrid; on the other, he had left the door open to face Eblen again or, failing that, with whoever offered the most forceful performance in Pittsburgh. The answer, according to the analysis of the article, was Eblen. His quick and dominant victory against Bryan Battle in the main event placed him as the most solid candidate for a new opportunity for the championship.
In the women's flyweight division, the proposal pits Ariane Lipski da Silva against Taila Santos. The approach is based on Lipski da Silva's successful debut in SmartCage, where she beat former title contender Sumiko Inaba. From there, the idea is to pair her with another high-level opponent, also with a past as a prominent contender, such as Santos. The reading is clear: after successfully passing a first important test in this new context, the next reasonable step would be to measure her against another fighter well positioned within the division.
Another outstanding derivative appears again at middleweight and has Impa Kasanganay as the protagonist. In this case, the text opens up two concrete possibilities: Jordan Newman or Fabian Edwards. The first depends on what happens in the organization's next global event, scheduled for April 11 in Chicago, where Newman, still undefeated, is scheduled to face Josh Silveira in the co-main event. As Kasanganay has already met Silveira twice and won both times, a Newman victory would put him in a position to opt for a fight of great relevance against Kasanganay or another important middleweight name.
The second option for Kasanganay appears if the championship is finally headed towards the rematch between Eblen and van Steenis. In that scenario, the proposed alternative is a crossover with Fabian Edwards, the most recent contender for the belt. In addition to the immediate competitive interest, that fight would have an additional component of sports narrative, since the two faced each other in 2025 during the tournament. A new duel would offer Kasanganay the possibility of seeking revenge as he continues to try to consolidate himself among the strongest names in a division that the text itself describes as loaded with talent.
In featherweight, the suggestion is to face Alexei Pergande with Asael Adjoudj. The basis of this pairing is that Pergande himself had already mentioned before his fight that he would be willing to face Adjoudj if he managed to emerge victorious against Julio Arce. He finally won, but the development of the fight also left important conclusions. Arce withstood a very hard and bloody fight, and in fact partially came back to take the third round. That sequence serves to reinforce the idea that Pergande, despite remaining undefeated and showing very promising conditions, still needs to continue accumulating experience and learning before his rise in the division accelerates.
The analysis insists that there is no need to precipitate Pergande's growth. At only 24 years old, the recommendation is to maintain a measured progression, allowing him to continue developing without advancing stages. It is also stressed that he has shown patience in his career within the organization and that he should continue along the same line after beating Arce. Overall, the proposals after PFL Pittsburgh draw a fairly clear map: a title rematch at the top of the middleweight division, a level test for Lipski da Silva, a strategic crossover for Kasanganay conditioned by what happens in Chicago and a next formative battle for Pergande at featherweight.