With a goal of becoming the youngest UFC champion, 21-year old Edmen Shahbazyan made another step in the right direction Saturday night at UFC 244.
New York, NY — Managed by Ronda Rousey and trained by her coach Edmond Tarverdyan, Edmen Shahbazyan entered the UFC with a lot of hype behind him. And so far, he’s lived up to every bit of it. That certainly was the case Saturday at UFC 244, when Shahbazyan finished Brad Tavares with a head kick.
An undefeated fighter who improved to 11-0 with the win, the 21-year old has set his sights set on being the youngest champion in UFC history. That would necessitate a match-up with champ Israel Adesanya, a fighter who started his career on a similar track.
“I think I match up well against him,” Shahbazyan told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. “But if we take it one fight at the time, we’re going to get there soon. I want to be the youngest champion.”
Shahbazyan, a soft-spoken young athlete, broke his finish of Hawaii’s Tavares down by saying “I believe with the right shot, anyone can go out. It was all about staying relaxed, and not rushing in there. We did that, and got the finish.”
Fighting at New York’s Madison Square Garden — his first fight on the East Coast — was special for Shahbazyan, he said. “Oh for sure. Fighting at the Garden, and the President is coming too. It was a great win.” The rumored attendance of Donald Trump made it even bigger. “It was crazy once I found out.”
As for his plans moving forward, “definitely for the future, I want to be the champion,” he said. “But Tavares, he was ranked I think eleventh. So I guess this puts me somewhere around the top ten, and hopefully an opponent there. We’ll see. Whatever makes sense.”
Still, the knockout of Tavares was a statement win. Asked how far away he sees himself from a title shot, Shahbazyan answered by saying “I guess it matters who I match up with next. And fight by fight, we’ll see. Whether it’s two, three fights, or four fights, whatever it is.”
Dealing with the fame that comes from this win, and his high-profile pro career thus far won’t be a problem, he added. “I never really let any of that stuff get to me. I stay humble, I stay calm always, and I’m always back in the gym. If I take a week off, I’m back in the gym. Whether it’s lifting or working on technique, I’m constantly improving and getting better. I’ve been doing that from a young age, and this is where it’s got me. And it’s going to get me to bigger things.”
Watch the full UFC 244 post-fight press scrum with Edmen Shahbazyan above!
