Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards Official for Bellator Dublin Headliner on Sept. 23

Fabian Edwards cemented his position as the No. 1 contender in Bellator’s middleweight division with his victory over Gegard Mousasi this past Friday. Now he has a date for his bout with reigning champion Johnny Eblen.

Promotion officials on Monday announced that Eblen will defend his 185-pound belt against Edwards in the main event of a Bellator card at the 3Arena in Dublin on Sept. 23. Two other contests were announced for the event, as Brian Moore will face Otto Rodrigues at featherweight, while Mads Burnell will lock horns with Daniel Weichel in another 145-pound clash. Bellator Dublin will air in the United States at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

Eblen, 31, is undefeated in 13 professional appearances — nine of which have occurred under the Bellator banner. He claimed middleweight gold with a five-round verdict over Mousasi at Bellator 282 in July 2022 before defending the strap with a unanimous decision win over Anatoly Tokov in his most recent outing at Bellator 290 on Feb. 4.

Edwards, meanwhile, has compiled a 7-2 mark within the California-based organization since 2019. The younger brother of UFC welterweight champ Leon Edwards has rebounded from a two-bout skid to post successive triumphs over Lyoto Machida, Charlie Ward and Mousasi in Bellator competition.

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