Leon Shahbazyan and Niko Price are being targeted to meet at UFC Vegas 122 on October 10, according to multiple sources. The middleweight matchup would add a notable bout to the October card.
Multiple sources report that Leon Shahbazyan and Niko Price are being targeted for a middleweight bout at UFC Vegas 122 on October 10, though the matchup has not been officially confirmed or signed.
Shahbazyan, 30, carries a 12-5 record into the reported contest. The six-foot-four American orthodox striker trains out of Glendale Fighting Club and brings considerable offensive output to the cage, landing 6.1 significant strikes per minute at a 52 percent striking accuracy rate. He also mixes in takedown threats at a rate of 1.41 per 15 minutes, giving him a multi-dimensional approach despite not relying heavily on submission attempts.
Price, nicknamed "The Hybrid," enters with a 16-11 record and is 36 years old. The six-foot orthodox fighter out of Futures MMA carries a 76-inch reach, slightly longer than Shahbazyan's 74-inch frame, and lands 5.11 significant strikes per minute. Price adds a submission dimension to his game, averaging 0.6 attempts per 15 minutes, living up to the versatile reputation his nickname implies.
Why it matters
- Both fighters are All-American middleweights looking to build momentum on the Vegas circuit
- A win for either man could push them back into the fringes of the divisional rankings conversation
- The stylistic contrast between Shahbazyan's high-volume striking and Price's hybrid submission-wrestling blend sets up an intriguing matchup on the feet and on the canvas
- With the bout still in the targeting phase, fight fans should watch for official confirmation before the October 10 card takes shape
