UFC middleweight prospect Edmen Shahbazyan is looking forward to big things should he defeat Derek Brunson.
Shahbazyan faces arguably his toughest opponent yet in Brunson at UFC 248 which takes place March 7 in Las Vegas. The unbeaten 22-year-old has already made a splash with the promotion following impressive finishes over Jack Marshman and Brad Tavares.
And he hopes to continue his run with another impressive performance against a veteran in Brunson:
“I think it’s a great matchup,” Shahbazyan told MMA Junkie. “I know he’s a veteran of the sport and he’s been a top contender fighting for a while, but I look forward to going out there and performing amazingly.”
The middleweight division is as stacked as ever with a number of top contenders such as Paulo Costa, Jared Cannonier and Darren Till to name a few.
Shahbazyan is looking to join that fray and potentially enter title contention with a win over Brunson:
“I just turned 22,” he added. “I’m improving every single day, and I love doing this. With a win over him, it puts me in a great spot in the division to soon fight for a title.
“I want to be the champ, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get there one step at a time.”
It is likely that Shahbazyan will need a few more wins before he can think of a title shot. However, he is certainly going in the right direction.
What do you think of Shahbazyan’s future in the middleweight division?