Allen vs. 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 on June 7 at UFC Vegas 118.

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 has built a reputation as a well-rounded threat, landing 3.59 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy while also averaging 1.56 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. That combination of grappling pressure and striking output has helped him establish himself as one of the more dangerous fighters in the 185-pound rankings.

Shahbazyan, nicknamed "The Golden Boy," comes in at 16-5-0 and trains alongside top-level talent at Xtreme Couture. The 28-year-old American stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach — measurements that mirror Allen's exactly — and edges his opponent in striking volume, averaging 3.8 significant strikes per minute. His accuracy sits at 48 percent, and while he averages 1.62 takedowns per 15 minutes, his submission attempts are considerably lower than Allen's at 0.4 per 15 minutes.

Why it matters

• Allen's fifth-place ranking means a strong performance could push him closer to title contention at 185 pounds
• Shahbazyan, still just 28, needs a marquee win to reassert himself as a legitimate middleweight contender
• The physical symmetry between the two — identical height, reach, and stance — puts the stylistic edge squarely on grappling depth and striking accuracy
• A competitive middleweight division makes any top-ten result immediately relevant to the broader rankings picture