Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweights Edmen Shahbazyan and AJ Dobson went to war earlier tonight (Sat. March 23, 2024) live on ESPN inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. After nearly getting stopped early, Shahbazyan rallied back late in the first to score a knockout of his own.
Dobson started the contest with a 1-2 that caught everyone by surprise, including his opponent! His hands were looking shockingly fast given that he’s known for being a wrestler, and most had assumed “Golden Boy” would have the boxing edge. Instead, it was Dobson taking it to Shahbazyan, rocking him badly in the first half of the round.
Shahbazyan has been known for falling apart late in fights, but he really showed some grit here to survive those bad positions. He used his wrestling to stay alive, and it seemed as though all that energy expenditure was getting to Dobson a bit. At the same time, Shahbazyan had absorbed a ton of damage.
When the two separate, they wasted little time in exchanging power punches. This time, it was Shahbazyan who struck, sneaking a right hand through the guard. Dobson hit the floor, and Shahbazyan overwhelmed him on the canvas with a series of ground strikes to force the finish.
Check out the highlight clip below:
Edmen Shahbazyan knocks out AJ Dobson in the first round
pic.twitter.com/E1m681HiXK— MMA Mania (@mmamania) March 24, 2024
It wasn’t easy, but Shahbazyan is back in the win column! There are still plenty of questions about how well his conditioning and wrestling defense will hold up against top competition, but if nothing else, Shahbazyan proved his heart tonight.
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