PFL champ Costello van Steenis vows to smash Johnny Eblen in rematch: ‘If you lose against Impa, you mean even less than nothing to me’

PFL middleweight champion Costello van Steenis will miss his scheduled bout against Johnny Eblen at PFL Austin on July 18 due to a serious injury sustained during training camp. Unable to perform basic movements like walking stairs or cycling, van Steenis made the difficult decision to withdraw, though he expressed frustration at having to sit on the sidelines while others compete for his belt.

With van Steenis sidelined, Eblen will instead face Impa Kasanganay in a rematch for the interim title—a matchup that saw Eblen win a narrow split decision in 2024. The champion plans to attend Saturday's event at the Moody Center and has harsh words for his rival, telling MMA Fighting that Eblen's constant name-dropping in interviews and social media only matters if the challenger can first get past Kasanganay.

"If you lose against Impa, you mean even less than nothing to me," van Steenis said. "You better win and then make sure that you say what you're going to do." He went on to emphasize that a second victory over Eblen would cement his legacy, making him the only fighter to defeat the challenger twice. Van Steenis expressed genuine respect for Kasanganay, calling him a friend and training partner at Kill Cliff and hoping he emerges victorious—though he also noted that an Eblen win would set up a lucrative unification bout later in 2026.

Expecting to return to full health within four weeks, van Steenis aims for a unification bout in the fourth quarter of 2026 against whoever wins Saturday's interim title fight. Despite the setback, he acknowledged that accepting injury gracefully is part of the sport and an opportunity to improve as both a fighter and person.