Tag: Edmen Shahbazyan

UFC on ESPN+ 31: Make your predictions for Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 31 event in Las Vegas.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 31 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN+ 31 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN+ 31 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams live on ESPN+.

Make your picks for all five main card fights inside:

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Brunson vs. Shahbazyan promoted to UFC on ESPN+ 31 headliner after Holm vs. Aldana postponed

UFC on ESPN+ 31 will no longer be headlined by a pivotal women’s bantamweight bout after Irene Aldana’s withdrawal.

UFC on ESPN+ 31 will no longer be headlined by a pivotal women’s bantamweight bout.

The original main event between former champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] and top contender [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] has been postponed to a later date. In its place, a middleweight showdown between [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] and undefeated [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] will serve as the Aug. 1 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It will remain a three-round fight despite being elevated to headliner status.

The news was announced Wednesday by UFC president Dana White while doing an Instagram live with Ronda Rousey, who manages Shahbazyan. White didn’t offer why the change was made, but a person with knowledge of the situation told MMA Junkie it was Aldana who withdrew for undisclosed reasons.

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Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is an unbeaten rising contender in the UFC’s 185-pound division. The 22-year-old fighter is coming off a head-kick knockout of Brad Tavares last November at UFC 244.

Meanwhile, Brunson (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC), a longtime contender in the division, is riding a two-fight winning streak. The 36-year-old last fought in August 2019 when he outpointed Ian Heinisch.

This marks the third time that Brunson vs. Shahbazyan has been booked after bookings in March and April fell through.

With the change, the current UFC on ESPN+ 31 lineup includes:

  • Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
  • Markus Perez vs. Eric Spicely
  • Trevin Giles vs. Jun Yong Park
  • Ed Herman vs. Da Un Jung
  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Jennifer Maia
  • Randy Brown vs. Vicente Luque
  • Jonathan Martinez vs. Frankie Saenz
  • Ray Borg vs. Nathan Maness
  • Chris Gutierrez vs. Luke Sanders

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‘Battle of the undefeated’: Edmen Shahbazyan sees potential in future Israel Adesanya fight

Undefeated middleweight Edmen Shahbazyan sees his upcoming bout with Derek Brunson as a key part of his plan to be UFC champion.

Undefeated middleweight [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] sees his upcoming bout with Derek Brunson as a key part of his greater plan to be UFC champion.

Brunson (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) has been a relevant name in the middleweight division for much of the past five years, and it only takes a scan of his resume to see Brunson doesn’t lose to nobodies. Many of those to get past him have gone on to do great things, and if Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) can keep his winning streak going in the Aug. 1 matchup, he thinks he can follow that trend.

Shahbazyan sees a win over Brunson getting him a top-five opponent. If he emerges on top in that, he said he’d warrant a title shot.

“(That’s my plan) if everything goes good,” Shahbazyan told MMA Junkie. “Not overlooking anything, that’s about the way I would envision it.”

There are a solid batch of potential contenders at 185 pounds that Shahbazyan is jockeying position alongside. Champion Israel Adesanya is expected to defend against Paulo Costa in the fall, while Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till is set for July 25 and Yoel Romero vs. Uriah Hall is booked for Aug. 22.

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It won’t be easy for Adesanya to defend against all the rising contenders, but Shahbazyan said he’d like to see “The Last Stylebender” keep the strap until he gets his chance.

“I hope (he’s still holding the belt),” Shahbazyan said. “I think me and Adesanya would be a good fight in the future, so that would be a fun, fun fight.”

Although he’s not looking past his fight with Brunson, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Shahbazyan sees the potential in a title showdown with Adesanya. Both men would have unblemished records in the hypothetical scenario, and Shahbazyan thinks that makes for a sellable fight.

“Battle of the undefeated,” Shahbazyan said. “That has a cool hype to it.”

Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan booked for UFC Fight Night event on August 1

Third time is the charm for Derek Brunson and Edmen Shahbazyan.

Looks like the third time is a charm for [autotag] Derek Brunson[/autotag] and [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag].

The two middleweight contenders have been booked to fight at a UFC Fight Night event on August 1. MMA Junkie confirmed the news after being first reported by UFC broadcast partner ESPN.

Both Brunson (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) have been booked to fight twice prior. They were scheduled to fight once in March and once in April, but the fight was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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The 22-year-old Shahbazyan is regarded by many as one of the fastest rising pound-for-pound prospects in all of MMA. Managed by UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey and trainer Edmen Taverdyan, Shahbazyan has made Glendale Fighting Club proud by winning all four of his promotional bouts. He last fought in November at UFC 244, where he knocked out Brad Tavares.

Meanwhile, Brunson, a long-time UFC contender, is in the midst of a resurgence. After dropping back-to-back fights in 2018, Brunson defeated Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch in 2019 for a two-fight winning streak.

With the addition, the current Aug. 1 lineup includes:

  • Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana
  • Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
  • Markus Perez vs. Eric Spicely

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UFC free fight: Edmen Shahbazyan knocks out Brad Tavares with headkick at UFC 244

Impressive headkick KO by prospect Edmen Shahbazyan.

MMA might be at a halt, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy some of the most promising and upcoming talents in the sport.

Back in November at UFC 244 in New York City, [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] reminded people he’s the real deal and should be taken seriously at 185 pounds. The 22-year-old fighter picked up an impressive first-round knockout of veteran Brad Tavares to continue his unbeaten run in MMA.

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With the victory over Tavares, Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) earned his eleventh professional win and fourth consecutive victory in the UFC. It was also his 20th stoppage finish. The last time someone stopped Tavares prior to UFC 244 was by former champion Robert Whittaker back in 2015.

The Glendale Fighting Club product was scheduled to face Derek Brunson on April 11 at UFC Fight Night event in Portland, Ore., but the card was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. An update on a date for the potential rebooking has yet to be announced by the UFC.

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Chris Weidman says he accepted Yoel Romero, Edmen Shahbazyan before UFC postponements

Former UFC champ Chris Weidman was willing to take on all comers before his May 2 fight was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] was willing to take a wide range of matchups in the middleweight division in order to salvage the opportunity to compete on May 2.

Weidman (14-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC), the former UFC champ at 185 pounds, was supposed to fight Jack Hermansson in Oklahoma City. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic threw the UFC calendar into madness, though, and travel restrictions prevented Hermansson from entering the U.S. from Europe, where he resides.

Ultimately, the May 2 card – along with all other UFC events – was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. There was a period where the UFC was still pursuing putting on events, though, and during that time Weidman claims he accepted [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag], and subsequently [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag], as replacement opponents (via Twitter):

Although Hermansson was no joke of a matchup, the alternative options would have been no joke for Weidman, either.

Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is an undefeated rising star in the UFC who has impressed in each of his octagon appearances thus far. Weidman would’ve been a major step up in competition for the 22-year-old, but it didn’t materialize.

A clash with Romero (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) would’ve represented a rematch of one of Weidman’s worst career losses. They met at UFC 205 in November 2016, with Romero scoring a brutal flying-knee knockout in the third round.

Unfortunately, as of now, it appears Weidman won’t be fighting anyone at all next month.

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Despite delay, Edmen Shahbazyan still wants to be youngest champion in UFC history

Edmen Shahbazyan will have to wait a little longer to fight, but that doesn’t change his aspirations of making history.

[autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] will have to wait a little longer to fight, but that doesn’t change his aspirations of making history.

Shahbazyan’s fight with Derek Brunson was slated for the UFC on ESPN+ 30 card in Portland, Ore., on April 11, but was one of three cards the UFC postponed amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The pair originally was set to square off at UFC 248, but a minor injury suffered by Brunson pushed the fight back a month. Now Shahbazyan finds himself having to wait yet again.

The clock is ticking for the undefeated 22-year-old Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who has goals of breaking Jon Jones’ record to become the youngest champion in UFC history.

Jones became light heavyweight champ at 23 years, 8 months, a record that may be a little harder for Shahbazyan to break after his fight with Brunson was postponed indefinitely.

But if he keeps putting on showings like his recent first-round knockout over Brad Tavares at UFC 244, the record still could be attainable.

“It puts a little bit of time back on that,” Shahbazyan told MMA Junkie. “We have until next July to accomplish that goal, because 23 years and 8 months – and I’ll be 23 in November, and we have another eight months on top of that. But everything happens for a reason, so we’ll see what happens. But I’m hoping to fight soon when this whole thing is over with.”

Had Shahbazyan competed at UFC 248 and got his desired result, he would have been well on the way to his goal. In fact, Shahbazyan revealed the intention was to remain on the March 7 card, but things didn’t work out.

“They offered another person and we said yeah to him, but I guess the other guy didn’t accept because it was too short of a notice,” Shahbazyan said. “And then they rescheduled it to the Portland date and we agreed on that, too, and then this whole corona(virus) thing happened.”

Shahbazyan appears to be on a similar path to UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya with the opponents he’s drawing, something he’s taken notice of.

He said he’s happy with the matchmaking and his career trajectory.

“I think we’re progressing the right way and we’re taking the right approach as to who we’re fighting and when we’re fighting them,” Shahbazyan said. “I don’t want to rush anything, but I do want to set some high goals. I have set some high goals and I do want to accomplish them, but, no rush – (we’re) taking our time and we’re going to climb our way to the top.

“I think a win over (Brunson) definitely puts me in a position, maybe like close to top five. I think it’ll bump me up a couple of spots, so close to top five it’ll put me. But yeah, in my eyes, I’m No. 1 – so that’s how I’m looking at it.”

Brunson has faced a who’s-who in the division, but has fallen short in some big fights, often paying for his aggressive style. However, in his last two outings, Brunson has displayed a more composed and tamed version of himself, which resulted in back-to-back wins over Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch.

But whether Brunson decides to come out strong or more reserved, that won’t change what Shahbazyan, who’s finished his last three opponents in the first round, sets out to do.

“It doesn’t change my approach, but definitely I’m prepared for both styles,” Shahbazyan said. “Whether he’s going to come with his blitzing style or his more passive and defensive style, I’m ready for both. We’ve been preparing for both.”

With all the pressure that comes with being undefeated, chasing records, and representing Glendale Fighting Club, gym of UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey, “The Golden Boy” continues to blossom.

“It’s cool definitely having all the support and the fans and stuff being involved and saying this, and saying that,” Shahbazyan said. “I love that pressure. Whenever there’s a lot of pressure, I love it and I feel I thrive under pressure, so all that is good and it just makes me more hungry and motivated to keep my record, keep my ranking and keep building up and getting better, and going to the higher rankings, to the top five, and hopefully to the title soon. So yeah, it’s motivating.”

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Edmen Shahbazyan talks to MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun

UFC middleweight Edmen Shahbazyan talks to MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun about staying focused in today’s environment

UFC middleweight Edmen Shahbazyan talks to MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun about staying focused in today’s environment

Triple Take: Which fighter loses out most from UFC postponing three cards?

Out of all the athletes who lost a UFC fight date due to the coronavirus outbreak, which one got the worst end of the situation?

The UFC postponed three events during March and April due to the coronavirus pandemic. UFC on ESPN+ 29 (London) on March 21, UFC on ESPN 8 (Columbus) on March 28 and UFC on ESPN+ 30 (Portland) on April 11 were all pushed back due to safety concerns over the ongoing crisis, causing more than 30 matchups to fall apart.

Out of all the athletes who lost out on the chance to compete, though, which one got the worst end of the situation? MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, John Morgan and Nolan King give their opinion on the latest edition of Triple Take.

Mike Bohn: Leon Edwards loses

Even if the UFC opts to rebook the [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] vs. former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley fight that was originally planned as the UFC London main event, it seems unlikely the circumstances would be replicated. It was the perfect scenario for “Rocky,” who needed an eight-fight winning streak just to get to this opportunity. But now it’s hard to push away the feeling that disappointment is headed his way.

Edwards only got the matchup with Woodley after a lot of headache. Woodley did not want the fight from the outset, and said as much publicly. He wanted a bigger name and a bigger fight, but with the way the matchups unfolded at the top of the welterweight division, Edwards was the only logical option for “The Chosen One” after being out since March 2019, when he lost UFC gold to Kamaru Usman.

It was only a matter of hours from the time the fight was called off for Colby Covington to slide into the picture. He offered to step in as a replacement against Woodley, but it never came close to reality because the UFC ultimately had to scratch the event altogether. Since then, though, Woodley has been beating the drum to fight Covington next, and has all but pushed Edwards’ name to the wayside.

The UFC will ultimately decide who it decides to offer Woodley next, but even if it’s Edwards again, the moment in time can’t be recaptured.

Edwards was not only about to get the biggest fight of his life, but he was going to get it on home soil. Headlining a combat sports card at the famous O2 Arena in London is a dream scenario for any Brit fighter, and Edwards was about to get that. Considering the UFC only goes to London once a year, the odds of Edwards landing that same venue are slim to none.

The timing of the fight was also in Edwards’ favor. With welterweight champ Usman likely to make his next defense in the summer, a victory for Edwards would have put him in position to either serve as a title-fight back-up, or challenge the winner. But now Edwards is the odd man out, and it’s entirely possible he loses a deserved opportunity because this single fight fell apart.

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Next page: John Morgan: Shahbazyan’s breakout moment missed

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