Johnny Eblen vs Impa Kasanganai Prediction: There will be no early victory

On 24 February, a spectacular MMA tournament will take place in Saudi Arabia, bringing together the best fighters from Bellator and the PFL. In the co-main event, Americans Johnny Eblen and Impa Kasanganai will face each other.

Johnny Eblen has no defeats in his career. He took the belt in 2022 with a confident win over Gegard Mousasi and defended it twice (in one of the fights, unfortunately, Anatoly Tokov couldn't cope with him).

In his last fight, Eblen knocked out Fabian Edwards quite unexpectedly, as he usually wins by decision, taking the soul out of his opponents throughout the fight.

The fight with Kasanganai doesn't scare him. From the outside, it's also very clear that these are not the same level of fighters.

Impa Kasanganai is the guy who bounced back from an incredible knockout at the UFC three years ago (recognized as knockout of the year, by the way).

Kasanganai left the world's strongest league in 2021, and then in 2023, fate stuck him in the PFL, where things suddenly started to work out for him. He is now the champion of that league, on a streak of six consecutive wins (four of which are early).

Despite being champion, Impa has somehow managed to avoid fighting truly top opposition (he hasn't fought any stars in either the PFL or UFC).

Kasanganai is somehow considered a universal fighter, but there's nothing for him to do in the parterre against Eblen. Expect Eblen to dominate, but he's unlikely to finish the fight early. There will be no bloodshed here, but a tactical game of stand-up and a lot of clinch.