Costello van Steenis

Costello van Steenis (born 26 July 1992) is a Dutch-Spanish professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the middleweight division of the PFL, where he is the current and inaugural PFL Middleweight World Champion. Van Steenis has been a professional MMA fighter since 2014 and has previously competed in Bellator MMA. As of January 27, 2026, he is #4 in the PFL men's pound-for-pound rankings.

In April 2026, he reached No. 6 in the middleweight rankings according to Fight Matrix.

Background Van Steenis was born on 26 July 1992 in Rotterdam, Netherlands to a Dutch father and a Spanish-Filipino mother. He grew up in Spain in the coastal town of Altea. Van Steenis was first introduced to MMA in the nearby town of Benidorm. His trainer recognized that van Steenis was talented and told him he should move to a different country where MMA is more established so he could grow as a fighter. Van Steenis decided to move to the Netherlands and live with his godfather in Vlaardingen. He ended up joining MMA Vlaardingen, training under Ricardo Wondel. He then also joined regular training sessions with Gegard Mousasi's team in Leiden and at Kops Gym in Amsterdam. He considers Mousasi as a mentor and has stated he would not fight him.

Mixed martial arts career Early career Van Steenis began his professional MMA career in 2014. Prior to signing with Bellator MMA, he compiled an 8-1 record, finishing most of his opponents. Up until that point, his only loss came against Jake Bostwick, where van Steenis suffered a fractured eye socket at the beginning of the second round. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Bellator MMA Making his Bellator debut, van Steenis faced Steve Skrzat on 20 October 2017, at Bellator 185. He won the bout by first-round submission.

Van Steenis faced Kevin Fryer on 25 May 2018, at Bellator 200. He won the fight by first-round TKO.

Van Steenis faced Chris Honeycutt at Bellator 210 on 30 November 2018. He won the bout by split decision.

Van Steenis faced Mike Shipman on 22 June 2019, at Bellator 223. He won the bout by knockout in the second round.

Van Steenis faced John Salter on 8 November 2019, in the main event of Bellator 233. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Van Steenis was scheduled to face Fabian Edwards on 16 May 2020, at Bellator London 3. However, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bout was rebooked for 26 September 2020 at Bellator Milan 2. He won the bout by split decision.

Van Steenis faced Kamil Oniszczuk on 29 October 2022, at Bellator 287. He won the bout by submission via brabo choke in the second round.

Van Steenis faced former Bellator Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima on 12 May 2023 at Bellator 296. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.

Van Steenis faced Gregory Babene at Bellator Champions Series 2 on 17 May 2024. He won the fight via submission in the second round.

Professional Fighters League Making his PFL debut, van Steenis faced João Vitor Dantas on 29 November 2024, at PFL 10. He won the bout by knockout in the first round.

PFL Middleweight Champion Van Steenis faced Bellator Middleweight Champion Johnny Eblen for the inaugural PFL Middleweight Championship on 19 July 2025, at PFL Champions Series 2. He won the title via submission in the final seconds of round five.

Van Steenis made his first title defense against 2025 PFL Middleweight Tournament winner Fabian Edwards in a rematch on 20 March 2026, at PFL Champions Series 6. He won the bout via knockout in the third round.

Van Steenis was scheduled to rematch against Johnny Eblen for the PFL Middleweight Championship on July 18, 2026, at PFL Austin. However, van Steenis withdrew from the bout due to sustained an injury and was replaced by Impa Kasanganay for the interim title.

Personal life Van Steenis has a scar on his face, caused by a bite of his grandmother's dog when he was two years old. He is the older brother of Gino van Steenis who is also a mixed martial artist.

Championships and accomplishments Mixed martial arts Professional Fighters League PFL Middleweight Championship (One time, inaugural, current) One successful title defense Profesjonalna Liga MMA PLMMA Middleweight Championship (One time) Sherdog 2025 Submission of the Year MMA Junkie 2025 Submission of the Year 2025 Comeback of the Year Fight Matrix 2025 Most Lopsided Upset of the Year

Mixed martial arts record Win

Fabian Edwards KO (elbows) PFL Madrid: van Steenis vs. Edwards 2

Madrid, Spain Win

Johnny Eblen Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) PFL Champions Series 2

Cape Town, South Africa Win

João Vitor Dantas KO (head kick) PFL 10 (2024)

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Win

Gregory Babene Submission (Von Flue choke) Bellator Champions Series 2

Paris, France Loss

Douglas Lima Decision (unanimous) Bellator 296

Paris, France Win

Kamil Oniszczuk Submission (brabo choke) Bellator 287

Milan, Italy Win

Fabian Edwards Decision (split) Bellator Milan 2

Milan, Italy Loss

John Salter Decision (unanimous) Bellator 233

Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States Win

Mike Shipman KO (punches) Bellator 223

London, England Win

Chris Honeycutt Decision (split) Bellator 210

Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States Win

Kevin Fryer TKO (punches) Bellator 200

London, England Win

Steve Skrzat TKO (submission to elbows) Bellator 185

Uncasville, Connecticut, United States Win

Marcin Naruszczka DQ (illegal kick to downed opponent) PLMMA 72

Łomianki, Poland Win

Ronan McKay Submission (rear-naked choke) Combat Performance League 1

Guildford, England Loss

Jake Bostwick Decision (unanimous) Phoenix Fight Night 28

Bournemouth, England Win

Avi Jack Submission (triangle choke) Phoenix Fight Night 27

Bournemouth, England Win

Harry McLeman Submission (triangle choke) Phoenix Fight Night 26

Bournemouth, England Win

Andy Manzolo TKO (punches) Phoenix Fight Night 25

Bournemouth, England Win

Maarten Wouters Submission (rear-naked choke) Staredown FC 9

Deurne, Belgium Win

Cenk Toplar Submission (rear-naked choke) Strength and Honour 10

Dessel, Belgium Win

Andy Peters Decision (unanimous) Hoyer's Productions: Battle of the South 12

Kerkrade, Netherlands