Shake up! PFL Austin loses heated main event rematch, gains another rematch

[ASFN Admin]

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Changes are happening in Texas.

Professional Fighters League (PFL) Middleweight champion Johnny Eblen will have to wait a little longer to reclaim his title.

According to promotion officials, reigning champion Costello van Steenis has been forced out of his highly anticipated rematch against Eblen, which was scheduled to headline PFL Austin on July 18, 2026, inside Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

Fortunately for fans, Eblen is staying on the card.

Instead of fighting van Steenis, Eblen will now square off against former PFL champion Impa Kasanganay for the interim Middleweight title. The matchup serves as a rematch of their bout at the 2024 PFL vs. Bellator Champions event, where Eblen escaped with a razor-thin split decision victory. Many observers felt Kasanganay had done enough to get his hand raised that night.

: New #PFLAustin Main Event

PFL Middleweight World Champion Costello Van Steenis is OUT with an injury.

Impa Kasanganay steps in and will now face Johnny Eblen in a rematch two years in the making as the interim PFL Middleweight World Title will now be on the… pic.twitter.com/wpM2uYC6c6

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 5, 2026

Eblen (17-1) enters the bout coming off a dominant first-round submission win over former UFC fighter Bryan Battle, a performance that earned him another shot at championship gold (watch highlights). Before that, Eblen suffered the first loss of his professional career when van Steenis pulled off one of the biggest comeback victories in recent memory.

After controlling the majority of their championship bout, Eblen was submitted by van Steenis with just nine seconds remaining in the fifth and final round, surrendering the title in dramatic fashion.

Kasanganay (20-6), meanwhile, has quietly rebuilt momentum with back-to-back victories. Most recently, he knocked out Eblen’s teammate and hometown favorite Dalton Rosta in the opening round at PFL Pittsburgh (watch highlights). Prior to that, “Tshilobo” flattened former UFC veteran Andrew Sanchez in 2025.

The former PFL champion owns a 10-3 record under the promotional banner, with his only losses coming against Eblen, Fabian Edwards, and Dovlet Yagshimuradov.

While losing Eblen vs. van Steenis is a disappointing blow to the card, Eblen vs. Kasanganay II remains a good replacement.

Here is what PFL Austin looks like so far:

Johnny Eblen vs. Impa Kasanganay
Sergio Pettis vs. Lewis McGrillen
Sergio Cossio vs. Kolton Englund
Andrea Vazquez vs. Aleksandra Savicheva

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