The Professional Fighters League makes its Pittsburgh debut this Saturday with a 12-bout card at the UPMC Events Center. The main card airs on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. ET, with the early card streaming on the ESPN App starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Here's a breakdown of the fights worth watching on the PFL Pittsburgh card.
Johnny Eblen (16-1) vs. Bryan Battle (12-2, 1 NC) - Middleweight Main Event
This is the most important fight on the card for the PFL middleweight division's pecking order. Eblen, the former Bellator middleweight champion, hasn't competed since losing his title to Costello Van Steenis via last-second rear-naked choke in Cape Town last July. That loss snapped a 16-fight winning streak that dated back to his 2017 pro debut.
The timing is notable. Van Steenis just defended the middleweight title with a third-round knockout of Fabian Edwards at PFL Madrid last week, so a strong Eblen performance here could put him right back in the title picture.
Battle brings a different kind of momentum. The Season 29 TUF winner was released by the UFC after consecutive weight misses despite going 7-1 in the Octagon. He signed with the PFL in September 2025, picked up two sub-60-second knockouts in Dirty Boxing Championship, and now steps into the SmartCage for the first time against the division's top-ranked fighter.
Battle's finishing ability is real, with nine stoppages across his 12 wins. But Eblen's pressure wrestling has historically neutralized dynamic strikers. The question is whether the Cape Town loss left a psychological mark or sharpened Eblen's focus.
Dalton Rosta (11-2) vs. Impa Kasanganay (19-6) - Middleweight Co-Main Event
Rosta gets a homecoming fight in Pittsburgh after reaching the 2025 PFL Middleweight World Tournament Finals, where he lost to Edwards by third-round head kick knockout. This is also a gym war: Rosta trains at Kill Cliff FC, Kasanganay at American Top Team, two South Florida rivals separated by a short drive.
Kasanganay, a former PFL light heavyweight champion, has been a fixture at the top of the PFL roster since its acquisition of Bellator. He's fought Eblen (split decision loss) and Edwards (TKO loss) in recent years. This is a borderline must-win for both fighters if they want to stay in the title conversation at 185 pounds.
Fights to Watch on the Undercard
The lightweight matchup between two-time PFL champion Natan Schulte (25-5-1) and undefeated Jakub Kaszuba (15-0) is arguably the best fight outside the main card. Schulte hasn't fought in the PFL SmartCage in three years and faces a real test in Kaszuba, the two-time PFL Europe lightweight champion riding a unanimous decision win over Sergio Cossio from last August.
At women's flyweight, Ariane Lipski da Silva (17-11) makes her PFL debut against Sumiko Inaba (8-2). Lipski, a 14-fight UFC veteran nicknamed "Queen of Violence," owns 10 finishes across her 17 wins. 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) out of Kill Cliff FC takes on 10-fight UFC veteran Julio Arce (21-6), who enters riding a three-fight winning streak. Pergande is one of the PFL's more intriguing young talents and could make a statement here.
How to Watch PFL Pittsburgh
PFL Pittsburgh airs Saturday, March 28 from the UPMC Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The main card starts at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. The early card begins at 7 p.m. ET on the ESPN App.
