At just 22 years old, Edmen Shahbazyan is one of the fastest rising young stars in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), exploding out the gates with a perfect record of 11-0, which includes going 4-0 inside the Octagon.
Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones currently holds the record for being the youngest UFC champion at 23 years old. And that’s a distinction Shahbazyan wants, which is why he’s taking 18 months to become the UFC’s 185-pound champion.
“I know Jon Jones is the youngest champion at 23 years and 8 months,” Shahbazyan said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “I’m 23 years old in November and then I have eight months after that. That leaves me until July of next year. “
Since his UFC debut in November 2018, Shahbazyan has fought four times in twelve months, putting him on the path to reach his goal.
“It is a good time to reach my goal of being champion. That’s a year from now, and I think the way I go with a couple more wins will put me in that position to make that goal a reality. “
It’s not out of reach for the possibility as reigning division champion Israel Adesanya became UFC champion 18 months after making his promotional debut thanks to a tight fight schedule that saw him compete seven times in that span. .
“I go for that belt eventually. I want to make statements I want to continue improving. I want to fight high-ranking opponents and improve myself. “
Looking at his prediction for the next title fight between Adesanya and Paulo Costa, which is scheduled for UFC 253 on September 19, “The Golden Boy” is choosing “The Last Stylebender” to retain his title.
“I think it beats Costa. I think he will be skillful for Costa and will counter it. I think Costa has more of that on your face and he gets you into a fight with him and that tires you out. I think Adesanya will go out of the way and tag him, ”he said before admitting that a championship showdown against him is the fight he is looking for.
“I think Adesanya is a good fighter. A very skilled fighter and a good champion. It is definitely a challenge that I would love to face in the near future. It would be great. That is definitely the fight I see in the future.
“I like to dream big and dream big and achieving that kind of goal would be incredible for me. Not only would he be the youngest champion, but he would be the first Armenian-American champion. So two good things in one. “
Shahbazyan’s next step in trying to catch “Bones” is a major showdown against Derek Brunson this Saturday night (August 1, 2020) in the UFC Vegas 5 Main Event inside the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
To view the updated UFC undercard “Brunson vs. Shahbazyan” and queue for August 1 in Las Vegas, click here.
