Looks like the third time is a charm for Derek Brunson and Edmen Shahbazyan.
The two middleweight contenders have been booked to fight at a UFC Fight Night event on August 1. MMA Junkie confirmed the news after being first reported by UFC broadcast partner ESPN.
Both Brunson (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) have been booked to fight twice prior. They were scheduled to fight once in March and once in April, but the fight was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 22-year-old Shahbazyan is regarded by many as one of the fastest rising pound-for-pound prospects in all of MMA. Managed by UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey and trainer Edmen Taverdyan, Shahbazyan has made Glendale Fighting Club proud by winning all four of his promotional bouts. He last fought in November at UFC 244, where he knocked out Brad Tavares.
Meanwhile, Brunson, a long-time UFC contender, is in the midst of a resurgence. After dropping back-to-back fights in 2018, Brunson defeated Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch in 2019 for a two-fight winning streak.
With the addition, the current Aug. 1 lineup includes:
- Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana
- Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
- Markus Perez vs. Eric Spicely
