The undefeated Glendale Fighting Club prospect will meet Derek Brunson in the UFC Fight Night 173 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Joanne Calderwood risks her spot as the No. 1 contender at 125 pounds when she confronts Jennifer Maia in the flyweight co-main event.
Shahbazyan has rattled off 11 consecutive victories to start his career, 10 of them via knockout, technical knockout or submission. The 22-year-old last competed at UFC 244, where he brought down Brad Tavares with a first-round head kick on Nov. 2. Brunson, 36, finds himself on a two-fight winning streak after posting back-to-back victories over Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch. He owns an 11-5 record in the UFC.
UFC Fight Night 173 “Brunson vs. Shahbazyan”—which streams live to ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT—will also feature a welterweight clash pairing Vicente Luque with Randy Brown, a lightweight battle pitting Lando Vannata against Bobby Green, a light heavyweight encounter matching Ed Herman with Gerald Meerschaert and a middleweight scrap slotting Kevin Holland opposite Trevin Giles. ESPN+ will also provide coverage of the four-fight undercard at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
A closer look at the UFC Fight Night 173 “Brunson vs. Shahbazyan” particulars:
THE LINEUP
185: Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan125: Joanne Calderwood vs. Jennifer Maia
170: Vicente Luque vs. Randy Brown
155: Lando Vannata vs. Bobby Green
185: Kevin Holland vs. Trevin Giles
135: Frankie Saenz vs. Jonathan Martinez
205: Ed Herman vs. Gerald Meerschaert
135: Joseph Nathan Maness vs. Johnny Munoz Jr.
145: Jamall Emmers vs. Vince Cachero
135: Chris Gutierrez vs. Cody Durden
THE RUNDOWN
• Preview: The Main Card• Preview: The Prelims
• Weigh-in Report
• Prime Picks
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