Bellator’s return to England has taken a massive hit.
The promotion’s September 14th card from the OVO Wembley in London is now without a title fight main event following the departure of a middleweight clash between Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards, as announced Tuesday.
Bellator revealed that the championship clash between Eblen and Edwards will be rescheduled for a later date, but didn’t specify when that might be. It also wasn’t mentioned why the fight couldn’t go forward on its original date.
The booking was set to see England’s own Edwards try for a second time to claim the Bellator Middleweight Championship, rematching Eblen after suffering a third-round finish loss the first time they met. Edwards earned the new title opportunity by overcoming Aaron Jeffery in a #1 contenders match six months ago via decision.
For Eblen, the booking later this month was a chance to defend his title for the third time. He first captured the belt in 2022 with a win over veteran Gegard Mousasi and has since beaten Anatoly Tokov and Edwards to keep a hold of the belt.
Eblen also prevailed in a non-title fight earlier this year, getting past 2023 PFL Middleweight Champion Impa Kasanganay as part of a special “PFL vs. Bellator” show.
The new main event for next week’s Bellator card will be a featherweight clash between promotion vet Leah McCourt and undefeated prospect Sara Collins. The significant lineup change affects what will be Bellator’s first appearance in England since May 2022, and their first card since being acquired by the PFL in late 2023.
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