Brendan Allen vs Edmen Shahbazyan officially set for UFC Vegas 118 on June 7

The UFC has officially confirmed a middleweight clash between Brendan Allen and Edmen Shahbazyan, set to take place at UFC Vegas 118 on June 7.

Allen, known as "All In," enters the bout ranked fifth in the middleweight division and carries a record of 26-7. The 30-year-old American trains out of Kill Cliff FC and stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach. A well-rounded threat, Allen lands 3.59 significant strikes per minute at a sharp 53 percent accuracy, while also averaging 1.56 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes — numbers that reflect his genuine danger across all phases of a fight.

Shahbazyan, nicknamed "The Golden Boy," comes in at 16-5 and is 28 years old, also out of the United States. He trains at Xtreme Couture and is physically identical to Allen — six-foot-two, 75-inch reach, orthodox stance. Shahbazyan is slightly more active on the feet, posting 3.8 significant strikes per minute, though his accuracy sits at 48 percent. He also averages 1.62 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a credible wrestling threat in his own right.

Why it matters

• Both fighters share nearly identical physical profiles, making style execution the likely differentiator
• Allen's ranking at fifth in the division means a strong performance could push either man toward the top of the middleweight contender picture
• Allen's submission threat adds a layer Shahbazyan must account for, given his comparatively low submission attempt rate
• The all-American matchup at a Las Vegas Fight Night event gives the winner a clean résumé addition with no travel disadvantage