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.