PERSONAL INFORMATION

Born: Costello Van Steenis, Neatherlands

Nickname: The Spainard

Date of Birth: 1992

Weight: 184lb

Division: Middleweight

Pro MMA Record: 17-3-0



Early Life

Costello van Steenis, nicknamed “The Spaniard”, was born on July 26, 1992, in the Netherlands and moved with his family to Altea, Alicante, Spain, at the age of two . He grew up training across Spain and later in the Netherlands, forging his skills under coach Ricardo Wondel and alongside elite fighters at MMA Vlaardingen . Van Steenis earned his moniker from an early fight finish, a front kick head kick that reminded his trainer of a Spartan warrior, hence “The Spaniard”.


MMA Career

Costello van Steenis began his amateur MMA journey at 18 and turned professional in 2014 in Kerkrade, Netherlands, winning his debut by decision. He quickly established himself as a finisher, accumulating submissions and TKOs across regional promotions.


In 2017, he captured the PLMMA Middleweight title and earned a Bellator contract soon after . He debuted in Bellator with a first-round finish over Steve Skrzat at Bellator 185, showcasing his aggressive submission-oriented style. Over the following years, he tallied notable wins via submission and TKO, defeating opponents such as Kevin Fryer, Chris Honeycutt, Mike Shipman, and Kamil Oniszczuk.


Van Steenis suffered his first Bellator loss to Jake Bostwick in December 2015 via decision, followed by another decision defeat to John Salter at Bellator 233 in November 2019 . He rebounded with solid wins over Fabian Edwards (split decision) and Oniszczuk (submission) .

In May 2024, at Bellator Champions Series in Paris, van Steenis delivered a highlight‑reel submission victory over Gregory Babene via Von Flue choke in the second round. Later that year, he knocked out Joao Dantas with a head kick in under a minute at the PFL MENA Championship Nov 29, 2024 .

He earned a shot at the PFL Middleweight World Title, headlining the PFL Champions Series 2 event “Eblen vs. van Steenis” on July 19, 2025, in Cape Town, South Africa. In a dramatic comeback, van Steenis submitted previously unbeaten Johnny Eblen with a rear‑naked choke in the final seconds of round five, becoming the first Spanish fighter to win a PFL world title.


MMA Record

W/L/D [NC]RECORD AFTER FIGHTOPPONENTFIGHT LIBRARY
W17-3-0Johnny Eblenhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKBEN13pf78
W16-3-0Joao Viktor Dantas
W15-3-0Gregory Babenehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qqOgwOZsQA
L15-3-0Douglas Lima
W15-2-0Kamil Oniszczuk
W14-2-0Fabian Edwardshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPQ5zyvXZFs
L13-2-0John Salter
W13-1-0Mike Sharpman
L12-1-0Chris Honeycutt
W11-1-0Kevin Fryer
W10-1-0Steve Skrzat
W9-1-0Marcin Naruszczka
W8-1-0Ronan McKay
L7-1-0Jake Bostwick
W6-0-0Avi Jack
W5-0-0Harry McLeman
W4-0-0Andy Mazolo
W3-0-0Maarten Wouters
W2-0-0Cenk Toplar
W1-0-0Andy Peters


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