Athletes
Edmen Shahbazyan Eager To Shine Brighter Than Ever
After Picking Up Another First-Round Finish In His Last Fight, Edmen Shahbazyan Hopes To Put On A Show In Front Of The Atlanta Crowd On June 7
If it feels like Edmen Shahbazyan has been around for a while, that’s partly because he has—November makes seven years in the promotion—but also because “The Golden Boy” has gone through the fight game’s gauntlet. Once the red-hot undefeated prospect destined for title fights, Shahbazyan went on a bit of a journey since 2020. Three consecutive losses reset his trajectory quite dramatically and eventually led him to move from Southern California to Las Vegas in 2022. Shahbazyan picked up three wins (all knockouts) out of five fights and appears to have his feet back under him.
At 27 years old (yes, still just 27), the father-of-one still believes in his potential as he approaches his second fight of 2025 where he faces Andre Petroski at UFC Fight Night: Usman vs Buckley. The bout is his 13th in the Octagon, nearly doubling the amount of bouts he had before earning his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in July 2018.
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“I feel like I’m a UFC vet now,” Shahbazyan told UFC.com. “It’s a blessing getting most of my fights in this organization and getting such great experience at this age. I’m only getting better, and I’m feeling very experienced. That’s for sure.”
Although Shahbazyan’s struggles carry some common themes, his bright moments have carried flashes of improvement. When he snapped his losing skid against Dalcha Lungiambula, he notched his first career second-round finish. When he beat AJ Dobson, he found himself on the back foot to start the fight. Shahbazyan weathered the storm, turned the tide and finished Dobson inside the first frame, showing an improved resilience.
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His latest effort, though, was vintage Shahbazyan. When Dylan Budka dangled a double jab, Shahbazyan calmly slid back before launching an arrow-straight right hand that sent Budka staggering to the canvas. A couple follow-up shots later, and Shahbazyan secured his 12th career first-round finish.
Immediately after the referee pulled Shahbazyan off his fallen foe, Shahbazyan pointed toward his corner almost to say, “You were right!” Despite the result, though, he expressed a little regret that he didn’t get to show all of what he worked on in preparation.
“In that camp, we actually did a lot of things I didn’t even get to do in the fight,” he said. “Hopefully it’ll go on this fight or the next fight, but we’re getting better and better. A quick finish is always amazing, but we’ve worked so hard.”
He called working with Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick a “blessing,” particularly tapping into Nicksick’s knowledge regarding strategy and gameplanning for opponents. Shahbazyan also jokes that he is getting his “dad strength” as well, and vowed to give his son a fun highlight to watch when he is a little older.
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Petroski is far from someone who will lay down if Shahbazyan hits him with a good shot, though. The Philadelphia-based veteran is arguably in the best form of his career having won three fights in a row, including a decision win over the highly decorated submission artist Rodolfo Vieira.
It’s a good test for both men. Shahbazyan has classically struggled against grappling-based opponents, while three of Petroski’s four losses came via knockout. Stylistically, it projects as the good ol’ striker-vs-grappler matchup, but Shahbazyan feels quite confident in his entire skillset.
“He doesn’t know my whole game,” Shahbazyan said. “He might even underestimate some of the areas of my game. I plan to dominate.”
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With several fighters in the middleweight rankings on the other side of 30, Shahbazyan could position himself well with a win in Atlanta. Through his journey, he now takes things one fight at a time, a cliché, but necessary, lesson for every fighter, so Shahbazyan isn’t looking past Petroski. However, fighters with Shabazyan’s finishing talents don’t come in spades. If he continues to harness that ability and round out his game, he has plenty of time to live up to those lofty expectations tossed onto him half-a-decade ago.
“The Golden Boy” might have a few more scuffs, but the potential is still plain to see, and he plans to shine his brightest on June 7.
UFC Fight Night: Usman vs Buckley took place live from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on June 14, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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