Van Steenis injury forces Eblen into interim title fight against Kasanganay at PFL Austin

Costello van Steenis has been forced out of his PFL middleweight title defence against Johnny Eblen, with the July 18 headliner at Moody Center in Austin, Texas now replaced by an interim championship bout. The PFL announced Friday that Eblen (17-1) will instead face Impa Kasanganay (20-6) in a rematch, with the interim title at stake.

Van Steenis claimed the middleweight belt from Eblen at PFL Africa last July in dramatic fashion, rallying from behind to submit the American and hand him the first loss of his career. The champion then made a successful first defence, stopping Fabian Edwards by third-round knockout in their second meeting. Eblen had worked his way back to a rematch by finishing former UFC fighter Bryan Battle in March.

With that grudge match now postponed indefinitely, Eblen must first navigate a familiar threat. Kasanganay is no stranger to the big occasion — he went 5-0 in the 2023 PFL season at light heavyweight, winning a tournament and the accompanying $1 million prize. After PFL’s acquisition of Bellator, he dropped back to middleweight and lost a split decision to Eblen in their first encounter. He has since gone 5-2 while alternating between 185 and 205 pounds, and arrives on the back of back-to-back wins over Dalton Rosta and Andrew Sanchez.

The bantamweight co-main event at PFL Austin features Sergio Pettis against Lewis McGrillen. Van Steenis and Eblen’s long-awaited rematch will have to wait for a future date.