The Professional Fighters League makes its first stop in Pittsburgh on Saturday with a 12-fight card at the UPMC Events Center. The show airs March 28, with the early card streaming at 7 p.m. ET on the ESPN App and the main card on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. ET.
Main event: Johnny Eblen vs. Bryan Battle
Johnny Eblen faces Bryan Battle in the middleweight main event. Eblen is a former Bellator middleweight champion. He has not fought since he lost his title to Costello Van Steenis in Cape Town last July. That last-second rear-naked choke ended a 16-fight winning streak that stretched back to his 2017 pro debut.
Van Steenis just defended the PFL middleweight title with a third-round knockout of Fabian Edwards at PFL Madrid last week. A strong showing from Eblen on Saturday could put him back into title contention.
Battle brings heavy finishing power. The Season 29 The Ultimate Fighter winner had a 7-1 UFC run but was released after consecutive weight misses. He signed with the PFL in September 2025 and scored two knockouts under 60 seconds in Dirty Boxing Championship before this SmartCage debut. Battle has nine stoppage wins in 12 victories.
Key co-main and matchups to watch
Dalton Rosta fights Sadibou Sy Kasanganay in a matchup with local interest. Rosta returns to Pittsburgh after reaching the 2025 PFL Middleweight World Tournament final, where he lost to Fabian Edwards by third-round head kick. Rosta trains at Kill Cliff FC. Kasanganay trains at American Top Team and is a former PFL light heavyweight champion. He has faced Eblen (split decision loss) and Edwards (TKO loss) in recent years. Both men need a win to stay in the 185-pound title picture.
A lightweight bout outside the main card pits two-time PFL champion Natan Schulte (25-5-1) against undefeated Jakub Kaszuba (15-0). Schulte has not fought in the PFL SmartCage in three years. Kaszuba is a two-time PFL Europe lightweight champion and enters off a unanimous decision over Sergio Cossio last August.
At women’s flyweight, Ariane Lipski da Silva (17-11) makes her PFL debut versus Sumiko Inaba (8-2). Lipski is a 14-fight UFC veteran known for her finishes. Inaba went five rounds with undefeated Dakota Ditcheva last year and has never been stopped in her two career losses.
Undefeated featherweight prospect Alexei Pergande (7-0) of Kill Cliff FC meets UFC veteran Julio Arce (21-6), who brings a three-fight winning streak. Pergande is one of the PFL’s rising young fighters and could make a big statement here.
Event details and recent results
The card begins at 7 p.m. ET on the ESPN App with the early bouts. The main card airs at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. The venue is the UPMC Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| Fighter | Recent Result |
|---|---|
| Johnny Eblen | Lost title to Costello Van Steenis via last-second rear-naked choke in Cape Town; snapped 16-fight win streak |
| Bryan Battle | Signed with PFL Sept. 2025; two sub-60-second knockouts in Dirty Boxing Championship |
| Dalton Rosta | Lost to Fabian Edwards by third-round head kick in 2025 PFL final |
| Sadibou Sy Kasanganay | Has recent losses to Johnny Eblen (split decision) and Fabian Edwards (TKO) |
| Natan Schulte | Two-time PFL lightweight champion; off PFL SmartCage for three years |
| Jakub Kaszuba | Undefeated (15-0); two-time PFL Europe lightweight champion |
| Ariane Lipski | PFL debut; 14-fight UFC veteran with 10 career finishes |
| Sumiko Inaba | Went five rounds with Dakota Ditcheva; never stopped in her two losses |
| Alexei Pergande | Undefeated prospect (7-0) |
| Julio Arce | UFC veteran (21-6) on a three-fight winning streak |
Expect a night of fast starts, key career matchups, and meaningful shifts in the PFL pecking order at 185 and other divisions. Fans can watch the early action on the ESPN App and the main show on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. ET.
