VIDEO: Costello van Steenis Opens PFL World Championship Card With Head-Kick KO In 48 Seconds

Friday's event opened with a bang in Riyadh.

This year’s PFL World Championship began in violent fashion, with longtime Bellator contender Costello van Steenis landing a brutal knockout in the first round.

10 title fights are set to go down today inside the King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where both this year’s PFL Global and PFL MENA champions will be determined.

Before gold is dished out, a series of showcase bouts are opening proceedings. And while the cancellation of Jesus Pinedo’s return dealt a blow to the lineup, a number of notable names are still featuring.

That included van Steenis, who has figured in Bellator middleweight title contention ever since getting the better of Fabian Edwards back in 2020.

He advanced his ambitions in a big way at the PFL World Championship, face-planting opponent Joao Dantas in just 48 seconds with a perfectly timed head kick.

During his celebrations, “The Spaniard” called for a shot at PFL middleweight gold and also pitched a clash with the current Bellator 185-pound kingpin, Johnny Eblen.

Van Steenis originally appeared in line for a shot at gold following a victory earlier this year. After having his charge toward the top stalled by Douglas Lima in 2023, the Dutch-born 32-year-old bounced back by submitting Gregory Babane in a clash branded a title eliminator this past May.

For whatever reason, that classification was forgotten about and van Steenis was further made to earn a potential opportunity this week in the Middle East.

Suffice to say, he did just that.

Related News

Top Stories

UFC Store

Dricus Du Plessis Scoffs At Alex Pereira Cornering Sean Strickland At UFC 312: ‘Doesn’t Really Make A Difference’

Dricus Du Plessis believes Alex Pereira’s presence in Sean Strickland’s corner at UFC 312...

Daniel Cormier: UFC Light Heavyweight Division Is Going To Have Alex Pereira Problem For A ‘Long Time’

Daniel Cormier has witnessed firsthand what Alex Pereira can do inside the Octagon, showcasing...

UFC Fight Night: Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov Weigh-In Results

UFC Fight Night: Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov takes place on Saturday, and MMA...

Dana White ‘Beyond Disgusted’ By UFC Fighter Bryce Mitchell Praising Hitler

Dana White is having none of the nonsense Bryce Mitchell recently spewed. Mitchell has carved...

Daniel Cormier Explains Why Alex Pereira Cornering Sean Strickland Is ‘Risky’

Daniel Cormier has given his take on the growing partnership between UFC Light Heavyweight...

Sean Strickland To Dricus Du Plessis: ‘You’re A Wrecking Ball, I’m A F**king Scalpel’

Sean Strickland is confident that he can improve upon his performance at UFC 297...

Joe Rogan Recalls Proposal He Made To Ari Emanuel When Endeavor Bought UFC: ‘The Fights Would Be Better…’

Weight cutting in MMA has been a problem for decades. Joe Rogan, for one,...

Former Teammate Describes Experience Training With Khamzat Chimaev 

It seems like everybody who trains with Khamzat Chimaev has got nothing but great...

Shara Magomedov Reveals Encouragement From Cristiano Ronaldo During Meeting Ahead Of UFC Saudi Arabia

Shara Magomedov has received a tip of the hat from one of the biggest...