Edmen Shahbazyan and Derek Brunson will have to wait longer to fight each other.
[autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] and Derek Brunson won’t be fighting each other at UFC 248 after all.
In a tweet posted on Thursday, the Shahbazyan announced his removal from his previously booked matchup with Brunson. However, Shahbazyan wrote the bout hasn’t been cancelled altogether. It’s just been delayed.
Instead of the fight happening at the March 7 pay-per-view in Las Vegas, Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) vs. Brunson (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) will now take place April 11 at UFC on ESPN+ 30 in Portland, Ore. The change was first reported by Dutch website MMA DNA and subsequently confirmed by UFC broadcast partner ESPN, which cited promotion officials. ESPN reported that the fight has yet to be signed, however, while Brunson deals with an illness.
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At 22 years old, Shahbazyan is regarded by many as one of the fastest rising pound-for-pound prospects in all of MMA. Managed by Ronda Rousey and trainer Edmen Taverdyan, Shahbazyan has made Glendale Fighting Club proud by winning all four of his promotional bouts.
As for Brunson, the longtime UFC veteran is in the midst of a resurgence. After dropping back-to-back fights in 2018, Brunson defeated Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch in 2019.
With the switch, the latest UFC 248 lineup includes:
Champ Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero – for middleweight title
Champ Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk – for strawweight title
Edmen Shahbazyan is keen to test his skills against the litmus test that is Derek Brunson at UFC 248.
[autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] is keen to test his skills against the litmus test that is Derek Brunson at UFC 248.
Shahbazyan, an undefeated middleweight prospect, gets a chance to prove his worth against a divisional mainstay at the March event. Brunson has fought many of the best in the history of his weight class over the years, and he’s only faltered against the elite.
Does Shahbazyan belong in that upper tier? He intends to find out when the pair share the octagon.
“I think it’s a great matchup,” Shahbazyan told MMA Junkie. “I know he’s a veteran of the sport and he’s been a top contender fighting for a while, but I look forward to going out there and performing amazingly.”
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UFC 248 takes place March 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
If Shahbazyan can get past Brunson, it would put him in a position in which there wouldn’t be much real estate between himself and the champion. That’s good news for Shahbazyan, who has the potential to break Jon Jones’ record for youngest titleholder in UFC history if he continues on his current trajectory.
That’s something on the forefront of Shahbazyan’s mind going into UFC 248, and he intends to deliver a performance that stands out.
“I just turned 22. I’m improving every single day, and I love doing this,” Shahbazyan said. “With a win over him, it puts me in a great spot in the division to soon fight for a title. I want to be the champ, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get there one step at a time.”
Derek Brunson is taking on another young prospect in Edmen Shahbazyan, a fighter he said he can relate to.
RALEIGH, N.C. – [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] is taking on another young prospect he can relate to.
Brunson (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) faces the undefeated [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at UFC 248. He said Shahbazyan reminds him of himself when he was tearing through the UFC’s middleweight ranks.
“Edmen is a young, reckless, confident guy,” Brunson told MMA Junkie this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in Raleigh, N.C, a couple hours from his home base in Wilmington. “It’s kind of funny because I remember being his age and being where he was at and just having hype behind me. So I know what it feels like for him.”
But after a fast start in the UFC, Brunson went through his ups and downs. He lost fights to notable names and former champions, including Robert Whittaker and current middleweight champ Israel Adesanya. Their wins over Brunson springboarded them to title contention.
In his most recent outing, Brunson took on another surging middleweight in Ian Heinisch at UFC 241 and halted his five-fight winning streak. Brunson now has four wins in his past six fights.
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“This fight (against Shahbazyan), it kind of reminds me of the Israel fight,” Brunson said. “You’ve got a young guy with a lot of hype, undefeated. But again, it reminds me of my last fight with Ian Heinisch. (He was) near undefeated – 13-1. He had one blemish, but a lot of hype behind him. I kind of feel the same way. It’s my job to go out here, do my thing, and rack up another one after this one. I think that’ll put me right here at a title shot.”
Brunson has displayed a more composed approach in his current two-fight winning streak. He credited the change to his recent move to the Hard Knocks gym in South Florida, home to the likes of current UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman.
“I think I’ve got a solid situation,” Brunson said. “I switched my training up over the past year and a half at Hard Knocks down in Florida, and we have a good group of guys who try and get each other better and come in the training room every day, and it’s more of a team effort. So it’s definitely been working out for me and working out in my fights, also.”
Edmen Shahbazyan will look to keep climbing the middleweight ladder at UFC 248.
[autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] will look to keep climbing the ladder at 185 pounds.
Shahbazyan is set to meet [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] at UFC 248. MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup with a person with knowledge of the booking after an initial report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
UFC 248 takes place March 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
The undefeated Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has run through competition at middleweight. He continued to shine in his toughest test to date, scoring a first-round head-kick finish of Brad Tavares last November. The 22-year-old has aspirations of becoming the youngest UFC champion in history and has finished 10 of his 11 professional fights.
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After dropping two straight, Brunson (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) has turned things around by picking up back-to-back wins over Elias Theodorou and most recently Ian Heinisch at UFC 241 in August.
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With the addition, the UFC 248 lineup now includes:
Champ Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero – for middleweight title
Champ Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk – for women’s strawweight title
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn looks into his crystal ball to make 10 bold predictions for 2020 in UFC, Bellator and PFL.
The past decade was a time of great evolution and change in MMA, much of which even the most diehard fight fans couldn’t have seen coming. What will the first year of the next decade bring? Here are 10 bold predictions as the 2020 schedule gets set to kick off.
Without further ado …
* * * *
Khabib Nurmagomedov retires 30-0
UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] has made no secret that he doesn’t intend to have an extended career. His body has gone through the ringer due to various injuries over the years.
Moreover, Nurmagomedov already has etched out an undeniable legacy. If he can add a few more layers to that, he honestly doesn’t have much reason to keep going. If Nurmagomedov can get through what many believe to be his biggest obstacle in Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in April, then there really aren’t many true challenges left for “The Eagle.” Another win after that would bring his career record to 30-0, and if that fight is a massive one, like his long-desired Georges St-Pierre superfight – or perhaps a Conor McGregor rematch – he pretty much will have done it all.
The only reason for Nurmagomedov to stick around beyond that would be to reap the benefits of being a massive star (far bigger than now), and that money is hard to walk away from. Everyone around Nurmagomedov has long said financial security is of no concern to him, though. If that’s true, it elevates the chances of this happening.
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Four current UFC title reigns end prior to a successful defense
Of the UFC’s current crop of champions, the following have yet to register a successful title defense during their current reign: [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] (heavyweight), [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (middleweight), [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (featherweight), [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (bantamweight), [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (women’s featherweight), and [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (strawweight).
More than half of those title reigns will go down as a flash in the pan.
Jon Jones’ UFC title record gets broken
Maycee Barber and Edmen Shahbazyan.
For more than eight years, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]’ record for youngest champion in UFC history has gone largely unchallenged. Rose Namajunas had an opportunity to break his mark back in December 2014, but she fell short of winning the inaugural strawweight title.
2020, however, is the year Jones will be bumped from the history books. 21-year-old [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] (women’s flyweight or strawweight), 22-year-old [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] (middleweight) and 22-year-old [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (bantamweight) are all on the rise, and have already secured ranked positions in their respective weight classes.
They all have challenging paths, but one will claim UFC gold in the next 12 months.
A.J. McKee becomes champion and Bellator’s biggest star
A.J. McKee at Bellator 236. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)
Bellator has received criticism for the way its slow-played many of its prospects, but going into 2020, it’s difficult to look at [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] and argue Scott Coker mishandled the development of a young man who will soon be the face of the organization.
At just 24, McKee already holds a plethora of Bellator records. He’s validated himself in a big way over his past few fights, advancing to the semifinals of the ongoing Bellator featherweight grand prix. In order to win that tournament (and the featherweight belt), he’s going to have to go through some real tough competition, but if he comes out the other end on top – watch out.
McKee has spent his entire career with Bellator. His fighting style is tremendously entertaining to watch, and he has personality for days. If adds a belt to all that, there’s no reason Bellator shouldn’t push him to the moon.
UFC disbands at least one weight class
The UFC flyweight division and women’s featherweight division have been on shaky ground essentially since their inceptions, and 2020 could be the year one – or both of them – finally go.
Yes, Henry Cejudo “saved” the flyweight division, and there is a vacant title fight between Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo lined up for Feb. 29, but what comes next? As fun as the weight class can be, there’s just not a lot of money-making fights at 125 pounds.
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In comparison to the women’s featherweight division, though, flyweight is a thriving wonderland. Champion Amanda Nunes hasn’t defended her belt since winning it in December 2018, and although the promotion has signed a few new fighters to the weight class, there’s still not much going on. Nunes really wants to defend that 145 title for her legacy, but once that happens, the UFC could finally decide to pull the plug.
(Next page: PFL’s future, UFC vs. Bellator, and more)
Geoff Neal is MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year” – and for good reason.
[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] is MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year” – and for good reason.
Fortis MMA welterweight Neal (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) had a monster 2019, defeating three difficult opponents in impressive fashion.
Neal’s year began sitting atop a 2-0 UFC record. At UFC on ESPN+ 1 in January, Neal kicked, punched, and outpointed a very tough Belal Muhammad en route to a dominant unanimous decision victory.
Six months later, Neal returned to the cage at UFC 240 in July. One month short of his 29th birthday, Neal took on Niko Price in a thrilling brawl. The two men traded barbs, before Neal eventually finished the Floridian with ground-and-pound in Round 2.
A win over a formidable opponent like Price set Neal up for an even bigger-name opponent in his final outing of the calendar year. In December at UFC 245, Neal made it three-for-three, and did so in short order.
Taking on fan-favorite “Platinum” Mike Perry in the final UFC pay-per-view of the year, Neal didn’t hold back. The Texas native landed a hard head kick, which wobbled Perry. From there, Neal didn’t let Perry off the hook. Instead, Neal swarmed and handed Perry his first career TKO loss at 1:30 of Round 1.
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What Neal did this year was nothing short of incredible. And while the general public is starting to take notice, he still isn’t quite getting the recognition he deserves.
All three of the opponents Neal faced this year were, and are, extremely difficult tests to pass. Muhammad, Price, and Perry are three of the UFC 170-pound division’s most violent. Since their respective fights with Neal, the trio has not lost a fight.
Expect 2020 to be a big year for Neal, who will almost certainly kick off the upcoming decade with a top-15 opponent. If his trajectory continues, we could see his name inserted into the title picture by the end of 2020.
2019 ‘Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year’ Honorable Mentions
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]
Charles Oliveira
2019 Record: 3-0 Win #1, Feb. 2: UFC on ESPN+ 2 vs. David Teymur (submission via anaconda choke – Round 2, 0:55) Win #2, May 18: UFC on ESPN+ 10 vs. Nik Lentz (TKO via punches – Round 2, 2:21) Win #3, Nov. 16: UFC on ESPN+ 22 vs. Jared Gordon (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:26)
[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]
Cory Sandhagen
2019 Record: 3-0 Win #1, Jan. 19: UFC on ESPN+ 1 vs. Mario Bautista (submission via armbar – Round 1, 3:31) Win #2, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. John Lineker (via split decision) Win #3, Aug. 17: UFC 241 vs. Raphael Assuncao (via unanimous decision)
[autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]
Glover Teixeira
2019 Record: 3-0 Win #1, Jan. 19: UFC on ESPN+ 1 vs. Karl Roberson (submission via arm-triangle choke – Round 1, 3:21) Win #2, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. Ion Cutelaba (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 2, 3:37) Win #3, Sept. 14: UFC on ESPN+ 16 vs. Nikita Krylov (via split decision)
[autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag]
Edmen Shahbazyan
2019 Record: 3-0 Win #1, March 2: UFC 235 vs. Charles Byrd (TKO via elbows and punches – Round 1, 0:38) Win #2, July 6: UFC 239 vs. Jack Marshman (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 1:12) Win #3, Nov. 2: UFC 244 vs. Brad Tavares (knockout via head kick – Round 1, 2:27)
[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]
Gilbert Burns
2019 Record: 3-0 Win #1, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. Mike Davis (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 2, 4:16) Win #2, Aug. 10: UFC on ESPN+ 14 vs. Aleksei Kunchenko (via unanimous decision) Win #3, Sept. 28: UFC on ESPN+ 18 vs. Gunnar Nelson (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:26)
[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]
Irene Aldana
2019 Record: 3-1 Win #1, May 11: UFC 237 vs. Bethe Correia (submission via armbar – Round 3, 3:24) Loss, July 20: UFC on ESPN 4 vs. Raquel Pennington (via split decision) Win #2, Sept. 21: UFC on ESPN+ 17 vs. Vanessa Melo (via unanimous decision) Win #3, Dec. 14: UFC 245 vs. Jared Gordon (knockout via punch – Round 1, 4:51)
[autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag]
Emiliano Sordi
2019 Record: 5-0 Win #1, June 6: PFL Regular Season vs. Vinny Magalhaes (TKO via punches – Round 2, 2:45) Win #2, Aug. 8: PFL Regular Season vs. Bozigit Ataev (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:23) Win #3, Oct. 31: PFL Playoffs vs. Sigi Pesaleli (TKO via strikes – Round 1, 1:13) Win #4, Oct. 31: PFL Playoffs vs. Bozigit Ataev (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 4:26) Win #5, Dec. 31: PFL Final vs. Jordan Johnson (TKO via ground-and-pound – Round 1, 2:01)
[autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag]
Patrick Mix
2019 Record: 4-0 Win #1, Feb. 23: KOTC vs. Turrell Galloway (via TKO – Round 1, 1:45) Win #2, June 14: Bellator 222 vs. Ricky Bandejas (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 1:06) Win #3, Oct. 26: Bellator 232 (submission via Suloev stretch – Round 1, 3:49) Win #4, Dec. 31: RIZIN 20 vs. Yuki Motoya (submission via guillotine choke – Round 1, 1:36)
Here are 20 fights MMA Junkie hopes to see happen in 2020.
With a new year comes new things, including good ol’-fashioned fist fights. What kinds of matchups are we hoping to see in 2020? What kinds of bookings do we want the MMA gods to bless us with?
Here’s a list of some ideas and why they may (or may not) make sense:
Dillon Danis
20. [autotag]A.J. Agazarm[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag]
This list is being kicked off by “El Jefe” himself. I know this will automatically trigger the Twitter trolls, but hear me out. Danis and Agazarm easily are two of the best grapplers Bellator has in its lighter weight classes. The two have competed against each other plenty of times in the grappling world and they don’t have a lot of love for each other. Their name value doesn’t match their experience level in MMA, so they both often have fights against unknown opponents, which makes their fights hard to promote.
So why not pit them against each other? It makes sense for both fighters skill-level wise, it could be a fun buildup, and we could certainly see some fun, world-class jiu-jitsu.
Bryce Mitchell
19.[autotag]Kron Gracie[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]
Let’s keep the jiu-jitsu train rolling. Gracie is jiu-jitsu royalty and Mitchell scored a cool-looking submission in his most recent fight – a twister. The UFC certainly is not shy about throwing Gracie against someone with far more experience (cough, cough – Cub Swanson). I know Mitchell is a bit more experienced than Gracie, but not by a crazy margin. Both guys need fights and have interesting and opposing personalities. Why not?
A new decade is upon us, and these 20 fighters could take a step to greatness within it.
Well, another decade of mixed martial arts action is in the books.
The 2010s featured the emergence of superstars such as Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, and Ronda Rousey. For the first time in UFC history, a simultaneous double champion was crowned in McGregor. And then it happened again (Daniel Cormier, and again (Amanda Nunes, and again (Henry Cejudo).
The next decade is almost guaranteed to provide us with the next generation of UFC, Bellator, and PFL champions. But who are the likely candidates to become future stars?
From hot UFC and Bellator prospects, to fighters on the regional scene, to athletes yet to compete in MMA, the up-and-comer harvest is plentiful. Who could be the next McGregor? The next Israel Adesanya? The next Zhang Weili?
Let’s take a look into MMA Junkie’s crystal ball and see who could cross the threshold into stardom over the span of the next decade.
Two parameters were set for this list:
Fighters must be younger than age 30.
Fighters have yet to hold a major organization’s title.
Fighters who fit the criteria but have seemingly already achieved stardom were not considered.
Without further ado …
****
Maycee Barber
Record: 8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC Age: 21 Weight class: Flyweight Height: 5’5″
Birthplace: Greeley, Colo.
Next Fight: Jan. 18 vs. Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 246 in Las Vegas
Nicknamed “The Future,” [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] is just that. The strawweight has proven her worth in a short period of time, competing for LFA and on Dana White’s Contender Series prior to her UFC debut. Three fights into her promotional tenure, Barber sports a 100 percent finishing rate. In her most recent outing in October, Barber blitzed and TKO’d fellow top prospect Gillian Robertson. The win moved Barber one step closer to her publicly set goal of becoming the youngest UFC champion ever. She’ll look to continue her climb when she takes on her highest-ranked opponent to date, Roxanne Modafferi, at UFC 246 on Jan. 18.
It almost seems like a misprint that [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] can qualify for this list – but he does. It’s easy to forget his age and relatively brief UFC tenure when looking at his accomplishments. A physical specimen, the Brazilian middleweight Costa has quickly risen through the ranks en route to title contention. Costa went the distance for the first time in his career in August. In doing so, he defeated his most notable opponent to date, two-time title challenger Yoel Romero. The victory presumably has set Costa up for a title shot against champion Israel Adesanya. However, a shoulder injury has delayed “Borrachinha’s” return – but the rivalry with Adesanya is continuing to build in the meantime.
Mike Davis
Record: 8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC Age: 27 Weight class: Lightweight Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: South Cairo, N.Y.
Next Fight: TBA
With an 80 percent winning percentage, [autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag] doesn’t have a bad record by any means. But still, it isn’t representative of the skills he possesses. The Florida-based lightweight has only lost two top-tier talents in Sodiq Yusuff and Gilbert Burns. With crisp boxing and a strong ground game, Davis is a scary matchup for any member of the UFC’s 155-pound division. Just imagine how good he could become. The man hasn’t even hit the dozen-fight mark of his pro MMA career. In his most recent bout, Davis administered one of the year’s biggest beatdowns, pummeling Thomas Gifford at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October.
Ciryl Gane
Record: 6-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC Age: 29 Weight class: Heavyweight Height: 6’5″
Birthplace: France
Next Fight: TBA
It’s been a long time since MMA has seen a heavyweight prospect with the upside of [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]. Working under esteemed MMA coach Fernand Lopez, France’s Gane has served as a main training partner for Francis Ngannou. Now, it’s his time. Possessing many of the same skills as Ngannou, Gane also brings some differences to the table. His athleticism and quickness is unusual for a heavyweight. Possessing a strong kickboxing background, Gane has shown he’s evolved past being a one-dimensional competitor. In two out of his three UFC outings, Gane has won by submission.
Israel Adesanya is among the fighters who could finish the 2020s as one of the decade’s best.
I’m sure you’ve checked out MMA Junkie’s countdown of our fighters of the decade for the 2010s and have your own opinion on who would have made your list and what order you would have listed them. Now, with a new decade upon us, it’s time to look forward and ponder which names might dominate the MMA landscape over the course of the next 10 years.
And that hugely important job of pugilistic prognosticator fell to yours truly as I pick up the baton and attempt to compile a list of fighters who could lead our fighters of the decade list from 2020-2029.
So here, in no particular order, are my 10 selections in this way-too-early list:
****
Jon Jones
Jon Jones
Let’s not mess around here. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, and there’s nobody on the horizon that’s likely to change that soon. And with Jones dominating the UFC’s light heavyweight division, a brand-new chapter could soon open up for “Bones” when he takes the plunge and moves up to heavyweight.
Skill-wise, there’s no doubt he has everything in his locker to be every bit as dominant at heavyweight as he currently is at 205 pounds, but there’s always that X-factor of heavyweight punching power. Jones tends to drag his opponents into deep water, but at heavyweight it only takes one shot to end your night.
To that end, at 32, Jones’ style has avoided taking damage for the bulk of his career. Heavyweights tend to last longer and peak later than other weight classes: Witness Daniel Cormier holding the UFC belt past age 40. Current champ Stipe Miocic is 37, and his first reign began when he beat a then-38-year-old Fabricio Werdum.
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The challenge that lies ahead for Jones is arguably the most fascinating – and dangerous – of his MMA career. And the matchups he’ll face over the course of the coming years will make for some of the most-watched fights of the decade.
He was our No. 1 fighter for the 2010s, and he’s my early-money favorite to finish the 2020s as not only MMA Junkie’s fighter of the decade once again, but also as the consensus greatest mixed martial artist that ever lived.
Israel Adesanya is keeping eyes on all the happenings in the UFC middleweight division, and that includes the come-up of Edmen Shahbazyan.
[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is keeping eyes on all the happenings in the UFC middleweight division, and that includes the come-up of [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag].
Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is an unbeaten rising star at 185 pounds who has vocalized his desire to become youngest champion in UFC history. He just turned 22, and has a little less than two years to break Jon Jones’ mark in the record books.
After getting three solid wins to begin his UFC career, Shahbazyan really turned heads with a brutal knockout of Brad Tavares at UFC 244. Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) was unable to stop Tavares inside five rounds when they fought, and the champ said the performance got his attention.
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“I saw his fight,” Adesanya said during a recent appearance on the “JRE MME Show” with host Joe Rogan. “I didn’t know who he was until (my manager) told me. Then I rewatched his fight. He hit Brad Tavares with the head kick and that kind of got my attention, like, ‘Oh (expletive), who is this kid?’ At 185, he’s 22. He’s on the come-up. I played with Brad for five rounds. He starched him in one round. I’m not taking that lightly.”
UFC president Dana White said following UFC 244 that he’s high on Shahbazyan’s talent, but admitted caution must be taken with a prospect of this nature. Whether Shahbazyan is able to accomplish his goal of claiming the belt inside the set timeline remains to be seen, and only time will tell if Adesanya still holds the strap should he get there.
Adesanya’s immediate focus is on the division’s established top contenders such as Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero and more, but “The Last Stylebender” admitted Shahbazyan is more than just a blimp on the radar.
“I look at that kid – eventually when he comes up I’m sure I’ll see him at some point,” Adesanya said. “I need to get back to work. I’m working, but I’ve got the FOMO.”
