What’s next for Derek Brunson and Edmen Shahbazyan…
UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan went down tonight, live from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC APEX. The world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion assembled an excellent card for fight fans to enjoy. And enjoy we did.
It was headlined by a meeting between top 10 Middleweights Derek Brunson and Edmen Shahbazyan where they went toe-to-toe.
Brunson was reserved early in the first round until he scored a takedown. Shahbazyan used the fence to work his way up to the fence and Brunson landed with a big time elbow strike. Edmen started to throw heavy shots that had Brunson on the back foot. Shahbazyan landed him a knee strike to the face but Brunson clinched with him and absorb the heavy knee.
In the second round, Brunson started to mix up his strikes when he started to work the body of Shahbazyan with kicks and strikes. Shahbazyan had no real answers other than throwing punches and eating them in the meantime. With a minute to go, Brunson scored a takedown and rained down strikes from side control. Shahbazyan was in massive trouble with about 2 seconds to go and was bleeding pretty good.
Brunson got a takedown to start the third round and then finished him off with strikes to earn the TKO win against a highly talented Shahbazyan, this is a massive learning lesson for Edmen and will be the best thing that has happened in his career, and come back better than ever.
Derek Brunson:
Brunson (21-7), just improved to three wins back to back, after losing to Adesanya back in late 2018. Brunson switched up his camp to Salford MMA and has been 3-0 since the move to Salford. Derek Brunson #8 ranked middleweight in the UFC, has stringed together a three fight win streak beating, Elias Theodorou, Ian Heinisch and then finished highly regarded prospect Edmen Shahbazyan last night with a TKO stoppage.
What makes the most sense? Either #14 ranked middleweight Marvin Vettori or #6 ranked Darren Till.
Marvin Vettori is also stacking up wins in the middleweight division. Since his split decision loss to Israel Adesanya early 2018, Marvin Vettori has won three fights in a row. In his most recent outing he dominated Karl Roberson at UFC Fight Night: Eye vs. Calvillo few months ago, Saturday, 13 June 2020. It would be intriguing matchup for the pair and would be a good test for Derek Brunson and also Marvin Vettori as Brunson is looking great as of late.
ill dropped to 1-3 in his past four outings and now stands at 1-1 in the middleweight division. Where he moved up after a title loss to now-former champ Tyron Woodley and knockout defeat against Jorge Masvidal. Till went five rounds with Whittaker in a razor-close contest of technical fighting. The final scores were unanimous in favor of Whittaker, 48-47, after a late surge from the ex-champ. Derek Brunson vs. Darren Till is a fight i would like to see! Darren Till has a chance to get back on trck with a surging Brunson, and Brunson has a chance to add Till to his ever impressive resume.
Edmen Shahbazyan:
Shahbazyan (11-1), is still only 22 years old. Edmens first UFC main event did not go as planned. After a strong start in the first round, the 22-year-old Californian began to fade badly in the second round. That was Edmens first loss as a professional mixed martial artist and has a long career in front of him. After going a perfect 4-0 and getting impressive wins against, Darren Stewart in his UFC debut, Charles Byrd, Jack Marshman and Brad Tavares he was matched up against UFC and MMA veteran Brunson where he was outmatched and eventually stopped in his tracks.
What makes most sense? Either #13 ranked middleweight Ian Heinisch or un ranked prospect Brendan Allen.
After winning his first two UFC bouts, the Dana White’s Contender Series alum Heinisch, has dropped two in a row to Derek Brunson and Omari Akhmedov. He recently revealed he signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC. And in return for the new contract Heinisch returned to winning ways after snapping his two fight loss streak. When picking up a win against Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 250 where he won the fight in the first round via strikes and finished Meerschaert. Heinisch and Shahbazyan makes sense as they both have a loss to Derek Brunson and they are close in the official rankings.
Allen (15-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) handed short-notice octagon newcomer Kyle Daukaus (9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) his first career loss Saturday. That night he grinded out a unanimous decision win in the middleweight contest. Which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday, 27 June 2020. Brendan Allen is a perfect 3-0 start to his UFC career beating the likes off Kevin Holland, Tom Breese and Kyle Daukaus, he finished two of them fights. A fight between Allen and Shahbazyan would be a highly intriguing fight were two prospects battle for the win.
