Brendan Allen and Edmen Shahbazyan will meet on June 7 at UFC Vegas 118, the promotion has officially announced. The matchup pits two middleweights against each other in what is expected to be a key bout in the division. Details on the exact placement of the fight on the card or additional context about the fighters' current form are limited. Fans are being polled on who they expect to win the contest.
The UFC has officially booked Brendan Allen against Edmen Shahbazyan for June 7 at UFC Vegas 118, with both middleweights set to collide in what shapes up as a meaningful divisional contest.
Allen, known as "All In," enters the fight ranked fifth in the middleweight division and carries a record of 26-7-0. The 30-year-old American trains out of Kill Cliff FC and brings a well-rounded skill set to the cage. Fighting out of an orthodox stance at six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, Allen lands 3.59 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 53 percent, while also threatening consistently on the ground with 1.56 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Shahbazyan, nicknamed "The Golden Boy," comes in at 16-5-0 and is 28 years old. The Xtreme Couture product is also orthodox and mirrors Allen almost identically in physical dimensions, standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach. Shahbazyan is slightly busier on the feet, landing 3.8 significant strikes per minute, though his striking accuracy sits at 48 percent. He also averages 1.62 takedowns per 15 minutes, edging Allen in that category, though he attempts submissions far less frequently.
Why it matters
- Allen holds a top-five middleweight ranking, meaning a loss would damage his positioning while a win for Shahbazyan could push him back into the rankings picture
- Both fighters are nearly identical in size and stance, setting up a closely matched physical contest
- The grappling dimension adds intrigue, with Allen's submission volume contrasting with Shahbazyan's takedown frequency
- A win for either man at 185 pounds carries genuine divisional weight heading into the second half of 2026
