Brendan Allen survived a three-round war with Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Vegas 118 on Saturday night, grinding out a hard-fought victory before immediately turning his attention toward a much bigger target.
After fending off the dangerous striker in a back-and-forth middleweight battle, Allen used his post-fight interview to call for a showdown with middleweight champion Sean Strickland, setting the stage for a potential grudge match between two of the division’s most outspoken contenders.
Round 1 – Allen and Shahbazyan wasted no time planting themselves in the center of the Octagon and letting their hands go. Allen’s jab was snapping out like a piston, landing clean and often, while Shahbazyan answered with jabs of his own that simply didn’t carry the same sting.
Every time Shahbazyan threw a shot or two, Allen came right back with a combination. It became a game of “your go, I go,” except Allen’s defense was a step ahead, slipping and avoiding many of the attacks coming his way while still finding openings to fire back.
Allen shot in for a takedown midway through the round, but Shahbazyan stuffed it and briefly forced Allen against the fence. Shahbazyan quickly circled back to the center, where both men were clearly most comfortable exchanging.
As the round entered the final minute, Allen appeared to slow ever so slightly and Shahbazyan immediately took notice. The former title hopeful started opening up with heavier combinations and found more success as he pushed forward. Allen tried to change levels for another takedown, but once again Shahbazyan shut the door.
Sensing momentum swinging his way, Shahbazyan began unloading powerful combinations and forcing Allen to react. Allen mixed in leg kicks to slow him down, but Shahbazyan continued circling and looking for openings. In the final seconds, Allen launched forward with a flying knee attempt, only to get clipped by a sharp Shahbazyan combination before the horn sounded to end an entertaining opening round.
Round 2 – Round 2 opened with Allen immediately pushing the pace, landing a quick flurry while Shahbazyan stayed patient and looked for opportunities to counter. The slower tempo seemed to frustrate Allen, who wasn’t interested in giving Shahbazyan time to settle into a rhythm and repeatedly forced exchanges whenever the action stalled.
Around the 3:40 mark, both fighters planted their feet in the center of the cage and unloaded. The exchange got heated enough that Allen changed levels for a takedown attempt, but Shahbazyan defended it well. Allen quickly abandoned the wrestling and went right back to applying pressure, clearly trying to drag Shahbazyan into a firefight.
As the round progressed, Shahbazyan appeared to slow down and reverted to throwing mostly single shots. That played directly into Allen’s hands, as Allen refused to throw just one strike at a time. Every attack came in combinations, keeping Shahbazyan on the back foot and forcing him to react.
To Shahbazyan’s credit, he found moments of success when Allen left openings. He landed several heavy counters that got the crowd’s attention and reminded everyone of his power. Still, it wasn’t enough to slow Allen’s forward march, as the Louisiana native continued pressing the action and controlling the pace through the majority of the round.
With the fight appearing razor-close heading into the final five minutes, both men fought like they knew this round could decide the outcome.
Shahbazyan found success attacking the head and body, while Allen answered with a nasty elbow over the top that landed flush. Shahbazyan bit down on his mouthpiece and fired back with heavy hooks that connected cleanly, but Allen refused to give an inch, immediately responding with combinations and continuing to look for elbows that could open up cuts.
At one point Allen closed the distance a little too aggressively, allowing Shahbazyan to tie him up and press him against the fence. The clinch gave Shahbazyan a brief chance to catch his breath, but Allen quickly worked free and went right back to applying pressure.
With under 30 seconds remaining, Allen changed levels and finally secured a single-leg takedown. Shahbazyan scrambled back to his feet almost immediately, and the two unloaded everything they had left in a furious exchange as the final horn sounded, closing out a highly competitive and entertaining fight.
Official Result: Brendan Allen def. Edmen Shahbazyan via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
