The storyline going into Bellator 299 focused upon Fabian Edwards and his aim to tie his brother Leon as a global champion.

The storyline within the wake of Saturday’s battle card in Dublin is that his opponent, Johnny Eblen, remainder undefeated and continues to be Bellator middleweight champ.

A bloodied Eblen (14-0) knocked i’m sick Edwards early within the 3rd spherical and completed him with a ferocious flurry at the canvas to win his 2nd protection of the identify he captured extreme presen.

Within the speedy aftermath of the TKO at 21 seconds of Spherical 3, a fired up Eblen inclined over a grounded Edwards and shouted at him, upcoming attempted to proceed next Leon Edwards, the UFC’s welterweight king, who have been cornering his brother. A few mins nearest, Eblen cooled i’m sick and walked throughout to do business in handshakes to each Edwards brothers.

Fabian Edwards (12-3) used to be making an attempt to offer his crowd a unprecedented duo of champions. The one siblings lately reigning as international champs are Christian and Angela Lee within the Asia-based promotion One Championship. Angela owns the identify at atomweight, presen Christian holds each light-weight and welterweight belts.

Bellator prior to now had a couple of brothers rush off the feat. In October 2021, two-division champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire vacated his light-weight identify, announcing he used to be doing so that you can permit his brother, Patricky, to proceed for the belt. And a day nearest, Patricky did win it, giving the Freire crowd a couple of Bellator titles. Patricky misplaced his belt extreme November. Patricio remainder the featherweight champion.

Eblen, who fights out of South Florida, were given the population on his aspect earlier than the hole bell. He walked out to John Denver’s “Country Road,” and the lovers joined within the making a song, turning 3Arena right into a karaoke bar.

The bout used to be even and tepid early on, with each opponents touchdown leg kicks and now not a lot more. Eblen took a slim merit in Spherical 2, but if he tried a takedown overdue within the spherical, Edwards defended neatly and landed a well-dressed elbow that opened an unpleasant gash above the champion’s seeing.

Once they met on the middle of the cage for Spherical 3, Edwards focused the branch of the shorten and attached with a instantly left hand that despatched Eblen backpedaling. But if Eblen got here ahead to interact once more, he landed a looping proper hand that floored his challenger. Eblen briefly pounced with punches to complete the activity.