'I'm too good for Edwards' - champion Eblen

Middleweight champion Johnny Eblen says he is "too slick and too good" for Britain's Fabian Edwards.

American Eblen, who is undefeated in all 13 of his fights, spoke with unwavering confidence as he dismissed Edwards' chances of winning.

"I'm too slick, too good, I put pressure on people and I break them," said Eblen.

"His brother's a great fighter, he's a great fighter, but I just think I'm better.

"[Edwards] is fast, athletic, has a good left hand, has a few tricks, tries to set you up with stuff but he isn't going to get me."

Birmingham's Edwards is aiming to to join his brother and UFC welterweight title holder, Leon, as a world champion.

He has won his last three fights, including victory over former champion Gegard Mousasi in May, but in Eblen faces one of Bellator's most talented stars and a fighter who has won nine successive fights in the promotion.

After beating Mousasi for the title last year, he made his first defence, dominating Anatoly Tokov in a unanimous decision win in February.

"I believe I'm one of the best middleweights in the world, if not the best," said Eblen.

"Obviously I'm not taking away from my boy Sean [Strickland]. I'm very happy for him. I train with him a lot, he made me better, hopefully I made him better."

Fellow American Strickland upset Israel Adesanya to win the middleweight belt at UFC 293 earlier this month.

Edwards has earned the majority of his eight Bellator wins via work in the stand-up, but Eblen, who is predominantly a wrestler, says sparring with Strickland proves he can match his striking.

"I'm not worried about a stand-up matchup. I stand and bang with people. I stand and bang with Sean Strickland, he's one of the best in the world like me," said Eblen.

"If you see the people I train with, who I stand and bang with, I don't doubt myself."

'I had no business fighting in my last three bouts'

Ireland's Peter Queally has revealed his last three bouts - which all ended in losses - were plagued by injury, and he had "no business fighting".

Queally, 38, lost a lightweight title bout to Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire in 2021, before successive losses to Benson Henderson and Bryce Logan.

He is aiming to halt his losing run against Italy's Daniele Miceli on Saturday.

"The last three fights - you know me, I never make excuses, but I've had some time and I feel I can divulge what's been going on. I had no business fighting," said Queally.

"Especially the Benson Henderson one, I'd had surgery on my shoulder in March and it tore again in July. In hindsight looking back on it, it just wasn't me at all."

Queally added he did not pull out of the bouts because he wanted to avoid letting the fans down. He insisted that this time, for the fight with Miceli he is feeling "prepared again", both physically and mentally.

"My shoulder didn't feel right until about May this year," said Queally.

"After the last fight I was trudging through training. I don't mind a bit of hard work, but it's when you can't do it and you want to do it. But soon as I started getting healthy at the start of this summer, everything dramatically changed.

"That's the difference you're gonna see this weekend, you'll see a Peter who's physically prepared again, I'm looking forward to reminding everyone that I'm still there."

Elsewhere, Ireland's Sinead Kavanagh is aiming to win her third successive fight as she takes on undefeated featherweight Sara Collins.

Featherweight champion Cris Cyborg is set to defend her title against Cat Zingano at Bellator 300 on 7 October, but Kavanagh, 37, says "no one can argue" if she is given the next opportunity at the belt, should she beat Collins.

On the undercard, Briton Luke Trainer's light-heavyweight contest with Laurynas Urbonavicius has been cancelled as the Lithuanian will not be in a position to make weight on Friday.