Once an undefeated prospect in the UFC’s middleweight division, Edmen Shahbazyan found himself on uneven footing as he headed into his fight against Dylan Budka at UFC Vegas 102.
Shabazyan had been trading wins and losses of late, and was entering off a loss against veteran Gerald Meerschaert. As for Budka, he found himself in must-win territory, having lost his first two fights under the UFC banner.
The opening round started and Budka showed a surprising willingness to stand toe-to-toe and swing with Shahbazyan. They kept exchanging, with both fighters landing and missing at about the same. Shahbazyan, the more well-versed striker, eventually figured out Budka’s timing. Budka doubled-up his jab, but ‘The Golden Boy’ landed a picture-perfect pull-back counter right hand. That punch sent Budka stumbling back and knocked him off balance. With Budka in the fetal position, the poor body language forced the referee to step in and stop the fight.
The once promising prospect prevented another losing streak by getting back in the win column. At 27 years of age, maybe now is the time for Shahbazyan to show whether he can finally put it all together and reach the rankings once again.
As for Budka, this is likely the end of his UFC run after going 0-3. However, being just 25 years old, it’s not too late for him to get experience on the regional scene and fight his way back to the big leagues.
Official Result: Edmen Shahbazyan def. Dylan Budka by TKO, Round 1, 1:35
