Sean
Strickland confirms that not all the best fighters in the world
are a part of the
UFC roster.
Strickland recently shared high praise for his training partner
Johnny
Eblen. Following a sparring session with Eblen, Strickland
joked that the UFC should never sign “Pressure.” Strickland wants
Eblen to stay put in the
Professional Fighters League because he would be a threat to
the entire UFC roster. Strickland believes Eblen would be competing
for a UFC title if the promotion signed him.
Championship Talent
“Never let this man come to the UFC,” Strickland said on his
Instagram Stories. “Keep his ass where he’s at. F—-ing savage, bro.
If this man was in the UFC, he’d be fighting for the
belt.”
Eblen (17-1) is widely considered one of the best fighters in the
world outside of the UFC. The former Bellator
MMA middleweight champion also continued his reign at PFL when
the promotion took over Bellator. Eblen was a massive -550 favorite
going into his title defense against Costello
van Steenis last year. However, van Steenis handed Eblen his
lone professional loss by choking him unconscious with nine seconds
left in the fight in one of the biggest upsets in PFL title fight
history. Eblen has since rebounded with a first-round submission
win over UFC alum Bryan
Battle last month.
Sean
Strickland believes Johnny
Eblen is too dangerous for the UFC roster“Never let this man come to the UFC. Keep his a** where he’s at. If
this man were in the UFC, he’d be fighting for the belt.”(Via @SStricklandMMA
) pic.twitter.com/rqEMhaI76b— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA)
April 22, 2026