UFC on ESPN 69: Edmen Shahbazyan post-fight interview
UFC on ESPN 69 winner Edmen Shahbazyan talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after his unanimous decision victory over Andre Petroski.
ATLANTA – Edmen Shahbazyan appears to be hitting his stride.
At UFC on ESPN 69 at State Farm Arena, Shahbazyan (15-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) picked up a rare unanimous decision win against Andre Petroski. When the 27-year-old wins, he typically ends things before the judges are needed. The victory over Petroski (13-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) was his first decision win since November 2018, with six stoppage victories in between.
“I thought I almost had him in the third round, but I didn’t want to rush it,” Shahbazyan told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “I just wanted to take my time, get a clean win, and that’s exactly what I did.”
It was a patient, calculated performance from Shahbazyan, who has steadily shown growth in his game since moving to Xtreme Couture under the watch of head coach Eric Nicksick. Since switching gyms in 2022, he has gone 4-2, and has now put together back-to-back wins for the first time since his debut winning streak.
With an 8-5 record under the UFC banner, Shahbazyan is glad to have taken his lumps on the biggest stage. He’s been learning on the job, and believes things are starting to really click for him as a professional.
“I’m young and I think I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in the UFC, in the biggest organization,” Shahbayzan said. “Honestly, that’s the best type of experience you can get is having those highs and lows in the UFC. I think I’ve learned a lot from them, and I wouldn’t take anything back. Of course, just having a solid team around me, them always pushing me, them always strategizing with me and just being next to be. I’m thankful for them. It’s the first of many, many, many more.”
