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The rescheduled bout between Jack Hermansson and Edmen Shahbazyan is set to kick off the main card of the UFC Fight Night headlined by Rob Font and Cody Garbrandt this weekend.
Initally set for UFC 262, the fight will see two top-ten contenders in the middleweight division try to rise up the rankings in an interesting clash of youth and experience. Both fighters are on the back of a loss and have a point to prove.
Hermansson has opened as the betting favorite. Here are five reasons why Jack Hermansson will re-establish himself as a top contender by beating Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Fight Night on May 22.
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#5 The UFC may have pushed Edmen Shahbazyan too early
Having started training MMA at the age of nine, Edmen Shahbazyan has prodigious talent and is one of the brightest young prospects in the UFC right now. But the question of whether the UFC has pushed the 23-year-old a bit too soon remains to be answered.
In his previous fight, Shahbazyan faced a step up in competition in the form of Derek Brunson. And although he gave a good account of himself in the first round, he was outclassed soon after in a comfortable win for the veteran. Immediately after the loss, the tenth-ranked middleweight has been pitted against another experienced fighter in Jack Hermansson, who's currently ranked seventh.
Hermansson is on the back of a loss, but it was a fiery battle against next title challenger Marvin Vettori. Shahbazyan is far from a finished product and may have bitten off more than he can chew against a well-rounded fighter in the Swede.
#4 Jack Hermansson is durable
Over the course of his 12-fight UFC career, Jack Hermansson has showed that he's a durable fighter who can push through injuries and other forms of adversity.
Against Vettori, he suffered a broken toe and a broken eye socket but was on the offensive for most of the five rounds. And against Thales Leites at UFC 224, Hermansson fought through a dislocated rib to claim a third-round TKO victory.
Shahbazyan is at his best in the early rounds, but Hermansson has the grit and chin to withstand the early assault and take the fight deep. One of the most tough fighters at middleweight, 'The Joker' will be a formidable challenge for Shahbazyan to overcome.
#3 Jack Hermansson has a power and reach advantage
With a 77" reach, Jack Hermansson has a significant four-inch reach advantage over Edmen Shahbazyan.
'The Golden Boy' will want to keep the fight standing, and while he may have the advantage on the feet, Hermansson won't be an easy nut to crack. The Swede might even hold the edge when it comes to striking power, with his unorthodox kickboxing having caused problems for most UFC middleweights.
Shahbazyan's striking is up there with the best in the division, but Hermansson might prove to be the perfect antithesis.
#2 Edmen Shahbazyan's poor cardio
The fight against Derek Brunson, which was his first professional loss, revealed a lot about Edmen Shahbazyan. Of his 11 previous fights, the only one which went past the first round was a razor-thin split decision win over Darren Stewart in November 2018.
In his first test against a top contender, Shahbazyan wilted rapidly and was almost completely gassed midway through the second round. He barely managed to take the fight to the third, where Brunson dispatched him with ease. Shahbazyan will have improved on his cardio, but Jack Hermansson pushes a relentless pace in most of his fights that might prove to be too much for the youngster.
The 32-year-old will have a significant advantage over his opponent in the later rounds, if Shahbazyan's previous fight against Brunson is anything to go by.
#1 Jack Hermansson's superior wrestling and submissions
Edmen Shahbazyan scored numerous takedowns in his fight against Darren Stewart, showing that he isn't one-dimensional. But his defensive wrestling let him down against Brunson, who landed four takedowns on eight attempts.
Jack Hermansson is one of the best grapplers in the UFC's middleweight division, with submission wins over Kelvin Gastelum, David Branch and Gerald Meerschaert. 'The Joker' is excellent in top position, transitions explosively to mount and is lethal with elbows.
Hermansson will be a major threat to Shahbazyan on the ground, especially if he manages to build on his poor 34% takedown accuracy. He might have to rely on the clinch to take the American to the mat, but once he does, he's as good as they come.
