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2026-08-08 00:06 UTC → 2026-08-09 08:21 UTC ·
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In late July On August 7, 2026, former UFC middleweight Bryan Battle suffered a first‑round submission loss in his Professional Fighters League debut against former Bellator champion Johnny Eblen. Battle attributed the defeat to personal turmoil, including a recent divorce and secured his abrupt UFC release, which left him "scattered" during training. He indicated the loss was a wake‑up call and announced he was preparing for a second first PFL appearance. A week later, on August 7, 2026, Battle returned to the cage victory at the PFL Charlotte event in Bojangles Coliseum, facing fellow middle‑weight defeating Dalton Rosta. Both fighters, coming off recent setbacks, emphasized Rosta via split decision in the bout as middleweight main event. Following the win, Battle expressed interest in a chance to revive their careers. The fight was broadcast potential future matchup against Jake Paul. During the event, PFL CEO John Martin addressed broadcasting issues, noting that viewers faced confusion as the live on stream transitioned between the ESPN app and later on various ESPN television networks. Martin described the coordination challenges as part of "maddening" but suggested that the league’s ongoing season. league's recent merger with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) might improve future broadcasting coordination with ESPN.