Edmen Shahbazyan

Overview

Six of his ten UFC wins came inside the first round, and not one of the ten came against an opponent our model rates elite. Edmen Shahbazyan, "The Golden Boy," is a 10-6 UFC middleweight with seven finishes, six by KO/TKO, and a career that has swung between quick knockouts and tough nights.

He fights out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, stands 6'3" with a 74" reach, and works from an orthodox stance. His overall professional record across all promotions is 17-6-0. He enters his next fight on a one-fight win streak.

Fast starts, shaky middles. That is the whole story, and the details below back it up.

UFC Career

Shahbazyan's path to the UFC ran through Dana White's Contender Series, where he beat Antonio Jones by KO/TKO in round 1 at 0:40. That fight is a pro win but not part of his UFC record. His UFC debut came at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters Finale, a split decision over Darren Stewart.

What followed was his best stretch. He knocked out Charles Byrd in 38 seconds at UFC 235, submitted Jack Marshman in round 1 at UFC 239, and stopped Brad Tavares, an opponent our model rates as strong, in round 1 at UFC 244. Four straight wins, three of them finishes inside the first round. That four-fight run is still his longest UFC streak.

It ended in a main event. Derek Brunson knocked him out at 0:26 of round 3, and two more losses followed: a unanimous decision to Jack Hermansson and a round 2 stoppage against Nassourdine Imavov.

He rebuilt by knocking out Dalcha Lungiambula in round 2 at UFC 282, then lost by KO/TKO in round 3 to Anthony Hernandez. A first-round finish of AJ Dobson was followed by a round 2 submission loss to Gerald Meerschaert.

His second run of form was built differently. He stopped Dylan Budka in round 1, took a unanimous decision from Andre Petroski, and knocked out Andre Muniz at 4:58 of round 1, with two seconds left in the round. Then came Brendan Allen, an elite opponent by our model, and a unanimous decision loss. He answered with a unanimous decision over Brunno Ferreira.

Three of his six UFC losses came by KO/TKO and one by submission. Both of his two other losses went the distance.

Fighting Style

Shahbazyan is a busy, accurate striker. He lands more per minute than most UFC fighters and connects at a better clip than most. He absorbs strikes at about the UFC average, and his striking defense sits there too.

His best defensive trait is on the mat. He is very hard to take down, far harder than most. He shoots for takedowns at an ordinary rate, but he almost never hunts for submissions, so anyone calling him a pure knockout artist should note his one UFC submission win, over Marshman in 1:12.

The finish pattern is clear: five of his six knockout wins and his lone submission came in round 1. Only one finish, Lungiambula in round 2, came later. When he doesn't end it early, he has gone to a decision three times and won all three.

Notable Wins

• Brad Tavares — KO/TKO, round 1, UFC 244 (2019)
• Andre Muniz — KO/TKO, round 1 at 4:58, UFC 320 (2025)
• Jack Marshman — submission, round 1, UFC 239 (2019)
• Andre Petroski — unanimous decision, UFC Fight Night: Usman vs Buckley (2025)

Quick Facts

• Division: Middleweight
• UFC record: 10-6
• Professional record (all promotions): 17-6-0
• UFC debut: 2018
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height and reach: 6'3", 74"
• Team: Xtreme Couture, Las Vegas, NV
• Born: Los Angeles, CA, United States