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Brunson vs. Shahbazyan Picks & Prediction: Edmen to win via TKO
Sat., Aug. 1, 2020: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan UFC Vegas 5 Fight Night prediction, our picks & odds preview.
Rising mixed martial arts star Edmen Shahbazyan will face the most difficult test of his career when he faces Derek Brunson in a UFC Fight Night event on Saturday Aug. 1,
Betting Preview
“The Golden Boy” boasts a perfect 11-0 professional career but has never faced a veteran of Brunson’s level, making this fight a natural next step for the promising middleweight prospect.
The NJ sportsbooks, such as Pointsbet, clearly favor the Ronda Rousey-managed talent to maintain his undefeated record at Brunson vs. Shahbazyan UFC fight, with Golden Nugget Casino pricing Shahbazyan at -340 (1.29) to extend his winning streak. This their prediction.
The 22-year-old has been pushed to a decision in only one of his 11 fights to date—he has nine KO/TKO finishes and one submission—and most recently finished another veteran, Brad Tavares, with a stunning head kick in November 2019:
Now THIS is how you finish a fight! 🤯 @EdmenShahbazyan #UFCVegas5 pic.twitter.com/BHm6djTF9j
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) July 28, 2020
Brunson, 36, is on a two-win streak, but each of his five UFC defeats have come against technically adept strikers, a category in which most would agree Shahbazyan belongs. Granted, those defeats also came against far more experienced opponents, but the hype around Shahbazyan is there for a reason.
Golden Boy Edmen Shahbazyan Set to Shine Against Derek Brunson in UFC Fight Night
The middleweight division is lighting up of late, and a win on Saturday will push Shahbazyan closer to the conversation for title contention, even at such a young age. It may also work in his favor that the elder combatant hasn’t fought since he beat Ian Heinisch by decision in August 2019.
Brunson has headlined (or co-headlined) four UFC cards in the past and lost three of those—to Robert Whittaker, Jacare Souza and Anderson Silva, no less—indicating a weaker record when the brass throw him a stiffer challenge.
Shahbazyan will be hard-pressed to mimic Israel Adesanya’s first-round finish of Brunson in November 2019 (the latter’s most recent loss), but his record suggests he’s got the stand-up game to finish.
Brunson vs. Shahbazyan Betting Prediction & Pick:
Edmen Shahbazyan to win via TKO. Fight to go the distance? Yes: +240. No: -330
Brunson vs. Shahbazyan Odds
- Derek Brunson: +255
- Draw: +5000
- Edmen Shahbazyan: -340
Odds via Golden Nugget Casino. Bet on Brunson vs. Shahbazyan online with good odds, free bets promotions at NJ, Indiana, Colorado, PA and Illinois sportsbooks. Edmen Shahbazyan predicted to win via TKO.
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