Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight veterans Brendan Allen vs. Edmen Shahbazyan will go to war this weekend (Sat., June 6, 2026) inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 118.
After consecutive losses to Nassourdine Imavov and Anthony Hernandez removed Allen from the immediate title mix, “All-In” pushed his way back into contention with a pair of wins over Marvin Vettori and Reinier de Ridder. How much of the “RDR” fight was Allen thriving versus de Ridder collapsing? Hopefully,
this matchup will help us find out.
Unfortunately, there are still question marks around Shahbazyan as well even after eight years on the roster. He was on the fast track to title contention in 2019 before suffering three straight losses that revealed weaknesses in his grappling and cardio. Since then, it’s been up and down for the 28-year-old boxer, who has put together a few wins ahead of his latest chance to break into the Top 10.
Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:
Allen vs. Shahbazyan Betting Odds
- Brendan Allen victory: -245
- Brendan Allen via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
- Brendan Allen via submission: TBD
- Brendan Allen via decision: TBD
- Edmen Shahbazyan victory: +186
- Edmen Shahbazyan via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
- Edmen Shahbazyan via submission: TBD
- Edmen Shahbazyan via decision: TBD
- Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
How Allen Wins
Allen is simultaneously a very skilled, well-rounded contender and a man with clear flaws. His offensive Muay Thai is nasty, he can wrestle well, and the jiu-jitsu black belt is one of his division’s best back takers. Yet, he’s also prone to gassing in the face of adversity, and he’s not particularly durable or hard to hit.
The strategy here is clear enough: take down Shahbazyan! That’s easier said than done, of course. Shahbazyan is athletic with good technical takedown defense, particularly early on. When he does get out-wrestled, his opponents usually have to walk through some fire and make him work for a while first.
Fortunately, Allen has a lot of tools on the feet. He’s the better kicker in this matchup, and I would argue his clinch offense is slicker as well. Allen has to fight aggressively, land some respectable shots, and really convince Shahbazyan that he’s in a firefight. When the Shahbazyan right hand comes firing back, that’s Allen’s chance to slip, grab a body lock, and look to drag this fight to the floor.
If the early takedown doesn’t materialize, Allen has to keep his confidence. He cannot start shooting terrible shots and get tired like he did versus Imavov. If Allen keeps his cool and continues to throw, the shot will open up.
How Shahbazyan Wins
Shahbazyan hasn’t yet developed into the champion many first expected, but “Golden Boy” was hyped for a reason. He’s strong and fast for the division, and his hands are genuinely very crisp. Still just 28 years of age, perhaps Shahbazyan has truly turned a corner and is ready to excel.
Shahbazyan has a clear edge on the feet here. His hand speed is significantly faster and is overall the more formidable knockout artist. If Shahbazyan can strand Allen on the feet and force him to exchange, an upset win via KO is very possible.
While the overall keys to making that happen are composure and cardio — Shahbazyan cannot panic if taken down or backed to the fence — his jab is the technical key to do so. Shahbazyan has to let that jab hum while keeping his feet moving. If he’s snapping Allen’s head back and interrupting his pressure, Allen will have a much more difficult time finding the takedown. That’s when naked kicks and other bad decisions start to emerge, paving the way for Shahbazyan to land heavier power shots.
Allen vs. Shahbazyan Prediction
Both men have the tools to badly trouble the other.
If Allen gets on top of Shahbazyan, he’s probably going to finish or at least brutalize him. Allen is a great top player, and Shahbazyan has always struggled when put on bottom. Conversely, Allen walks into punches while pressuring and gets discouraged, and he’s facing a faster, younger boxer with genuine power in his hands. Two of Shahbazyan’s team mates (Sean Strickland, Chris Curtis) knocked out Allen by letting him walk into counters, and it could well happen again here.
Ultimately, I trust Allen just a little bit more. His takedowns are crafty, and I feel that one will land at some point, drastically changing the course of the fight.
