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The rising star of the middleweight division, Edmen Shahbazyan took on Derek Brunson in the main event of UFC Vegas 5. It was the toughest test of Shahbazyan's career so far, including the wins over some tough opponents in the division such as Brad Tavares and Darren Stewart.
However, Edmen Shahbazyan had never fought anyone with the skillset and experience of Derek Brunson. If we look at Brunson's record, only the elite fighters in the middleweight division have beaten him in recent times. Israel Adesanya beat him and Robert Whittaker went on to become the middleweight champion after beating Brunson.
However, it was expected that Edmen Shahbazyan will put on a clinical performance against the UFC veteran and rightfully so. Edmen Shahbazyan was unbeaten coming into the fight. He looked phenomenal in all of his UFC fights, finishing every opponent in the first round except Darren Stewart. So we can't blame the fans for overlooking Brunson and predicting Shahbazyan to pick up an easy victory.
However, Brunson spoiled the party for Shahbazyan who was aiming to become the youngest UFC champion ever. Brunson mixed things up and troubled Shahabzyan with his wrestling. In the first round, Shahabzyan did have some success and arguably won the round. However, he gassed out in the second and could not handle the wrestling heavy approach of Brunson.
Though this loss does not destroy the hype behind Shahabazyan it has exposed some holes in his game. However, Shahbazyan is still very young. And he can make the necessary changes and restart his journey to the middleweight gold. However, who does he fights next on his comeback fight?
How should Edmen Shahbazyan make his UFC comeback?
A win for Edmen Shahbazyan would have secured him a fight with the winner of Romero vs Hall or Weidman vs Akhmedov. However, a loss makes it very difficult for Shahbazyan to achieve his dream of becoming the youngest UFC champion.
Shahbazyan needs to take some time off and work on his cardio immensely. if he gasses out in two rounds against Derek Brunson then going against the top 5 middleweights will be a nightmare for young Shahbazyan. And on his comeback, he should fight the loser of Uriah Hall and Yoel Romero.
If Yoel Romero wins that fight then UFC might not book Romero vs Shahbazyan. But, if Hall loses that one then Shabazyan vs Hall is a phenomenal fight to make. Both are two of the most dynamic strikers in the division. And a fight between the two will be an absolute barn burner.
Apart from that, Edmen Shahbazyan can fight Kelvin Gastelum, who is on a three-fight losing streak. However, Kelvin Gastelum is the biggest fight for Edmen Shahbazyan in the division. Even though Gastelum is on a losing streak he is widely considered as one of the toughest opponents in the division. And if Edmen Shahbazyan can get a win over the former number one title contender on his comeback fight then he can make a big jump on the middleweight rankings and get closer to a potential title shot.
Who do you think Edmen Shahbazyan should fight next?
