Bryan Battle says divorce, UFC exit hurt preparation before PFL debut

Bryan Battle (12-3) revealed that his divorce and exit from the UFC left him mentally unprepared for his PFL debut in Pittsburgh, where he was submitted by face crank in the first round by Johnny Eblen. Battle, who won The Ultimate Fighter 29 middleweight bracket in 2021, was released from the UFC after repeated weight misses despite a 7-1 record. He is scheduled to make his return against Dalton Rosta on August 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina.