If there were any doubts about Edmen Shahbazyan’s UFC potential then the 21-year-old put them to rest earlier tonight (Sat., Nov. 2, 2019) at UFC 244 from inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, when he starched veteran middleweight Brad Tavares via first-round knockout (head kick).
Despite this being the most high-profile bout of the young middleweight’s career, Shahbazyan looked calm and collected from the opening bell. Tavares tried to move forward and land punches straight down the pipe but Shahbazyan’s distance control allowed him to avoid practically everything. After a few minutes of action Shahbazyan started to unleash heavy punches and kicks through the defense of the Hawaiian. Tavares eventually backed into the cage where Shahbazyan landed a final head kick that sent the veteran to the canvas for good.
Check out the full fight video highlights above courtesy of UFC/ESPN.
With this performance, Shahbazyan proves that he really is one of the very best prospects in MMA today. The Ronda Rousey protege certainly has a lot of work ahead of him in a stacked 185-pound weight class, but a 4-0 start to his UFC career has many pundits excited heading into 2020. Look for Shahbazyan to land a shot at the top 10 after this beautiful knockout finish.
For complete UFC 244 results and coverage click here.
Get the latest gear
