The PFL has already made official one of the most anticipated middleweight rematches. Costello van Steenis will defend his belt against Johnny Eblen on July 18 in Austin, Texas, in a fight that arrives surrounded by narrative, controversy and unfinished business.
The confrontation will be the main event of PFL Austin, which will be held at the Moody Center and will mark the return of two of the strongest names in the division after one of the most dramatic finishes that the organization has left in recent years.
The first fight between the two changed completely in the last seconds. Johnny Eblen had controlled much of the fight and was just moments away from maintaining his undefeated status, but Van Steenis managed to turn it around in an incredible way, catching him with a rear naked choke in the final stretch of the fifth round.
That submission not only gave Van Steenis the belt, it was also Eblen's first professional defeat and left a huge debate among fans and analysts. Many considered that Eblen had been clearly superior for much of the fight and that he lost the fight when he was practically assured of victory.
Since then, both have followed very different paths, although both have come into this rematch strengthened.
Van Steenis has tried to prove that his victory was no coincidence. In his first defense of the belt he defeated Fabian Edwards in PFL Madrid, further consolidating his position as one of the strong names in the company. The Spanish-Dutch fighter is going through the best moment of his career and has a positive streak that has placed him among the most solid fighters in the entire PFL.
For his part, Eblen reacted forcefully to the defeat. The former champion returned to compete in PFL Pittsburgh and quickly submitted Bryan Battle, making it clear that he is still one of the most dangerous middleweights outside of UFC.
The rematch also has an important psychological component. Eblen arrives with the feeling that he let a fight he had won slip away, while Van Steenis wants to definitively close any doubts around his championship.
In terms of styles, the fight once again promises a lot. Eblen will likely look to impose his wrestling, control and constant pressure, while Van Steenis will try to take advantage of his danger in transitions and his ability to find endings even in tricky situations.
The rivalry has also grown outside the cage. Since the first fight, both have made statements making it clear that there is not much sporting respect between them. Van Steenis insists that he wants to definitively prove that he is a better fighter, while Eblen has repeated several times that his goal is to regain the belt and correct the biggest mistake of his career.
With both arriving in great form and with such an intense previous history, PFL has achieved exactly what he was looking for: a rematch with real narrative, competitive tension and a feeling that anything can happen.
And after how the first fight ended, few fans will dare to give something up early.