Jorge Masvidal says Johnny Eblen best middleweight fighter

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Speaking on Ariel Helwani’s MMA hour, Jorge Masvidal, currently retired from the UFC, claimed fellow American Top Team middleweight fighter Johnny Eblen is the best in the class.

In November, at Bellator 290, Eblen defeated Russian fighter Anatoly Tokov via a unanimous decision, with final scorecards of 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46.

With that glory, the Iowa native successfully defended his middleweight title while maintaining his undefeated record, bringing his career total to 13 victories. After starting the week in the No. 7 spot, Eblen’s strong play earned him a promotion to the No. 6 seat.

“That’s how I fight,” Eblen said, “As the fight goes on, I get better.”

Masvidal spoke highly of his training partner, noting that he had been raving about him since his amateur days.

Masvidal told Helwani that Eblen could easily transition to the UFC and become a champion at the promotion. He insisted that his teammate had all the necessary qualities and “there’s not a lot of people who can grapple with him.”

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The BMF title holder described Eblen as having “great hands” and “great power” and maintained that his focus and work ethic always kept him busy in the gym.

“He is the best middleweight right now currently in the world,” Masvidal said.

The 38-year-old fighter said he had been telling people just how great of a fighter Eblen was before his bout with Gegard Mousasi, the former two-time Bellator Middleweight Champion.

Masvidal said that when Eblen defeated Mousasi last year, he demonstrated how far “ahead of the pack he is,” and his “performance on Saturday” added another tack to it.

This year, Masvidal will make his return at UFC 287, where he will fight Gilbert Burns. After losing three times in a row, including twice in title fights to Kamaru Usman, Masvidal will be really looking to claim a win.