Edmen Shahbazyan is again back in the win column after a disappointing setback, stopping AJ Dobson at UFC Vegas 89.
Dobson certainly didn’t make things easy for Shahbazyan, who was badly rocked by a flurry of punches early in the opening round of the main card bout at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The former Ronda Rousey protege recovered, however, and soon found Dobson’s chin with a left hook that set up a ground-and-pound knockout at 4:33 of Round 1.
Check out the finish below.
EDMEN SHAHBAZYAN TURNED THE TABLES #UFCVegas89 pic.twitter.com/s1DIrLZuIf
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 24, 2024
Shahbazyan might have been the victim of the highlight reel after taking Dobson’s fast hands early. A trip takedown briefly took the pressure off, but Dobson was able to reverse position and land on top. That made getting up priority No. 1 for Shahbazyan, who recovered to his feet and looked for striking opportunities until his big punch sent Dobson reeling.
After a three-fight skid deflated all of the hype Shahbazyan built in his first five octagon appearances, he is now 2-4 in his past six outings. Dobson drops to 1-4, meanwhile, after a decision over Tafon Nchukwi snapped a two-fight skid.
