Sean Strickland: Johnny Eblen would be 'fighting for the belt' in UFC

Sean Strickland said on Instagram Stories that training partner Johnny Eblen would be a UFC title contender, highlighting elite talent outside the promotion. In remarks referencing the UFC roster, Strickland praised Eblen and suggested the Professional Fighters League was where he should remain. The former Bellator MMA middleweight champion is 17-1 and now competes under the PFL banner after the promotion took over Bellator. Eblen entered last year's title defense against Costello van Steenis as a -550 favorite but lost by choke with nine seconds left. He rebounded last month with a first-round submission of UFC alum Bryan Battle.