Edmen Shahbazyan returns at UFC 268, expected to fight rising contender Nassourdine Imavov

UFC middleweight contender Edmen Shahbazyan will return to the Octagon at UFC 268 when he faces off with rising contender Nassourdine Imavov.

La Sueur first broke the news that Shahbazyan vs. Imavov is on tap for UFC 268, which is scheduled to take place on November 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. With the card already featuring a main event rematch between UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and rival Colby Covington, the UFC continues to stack the deck for the promotion’s return to “The Big Apple.” With the addition of Shahbazyan vs. Imavov, this fight makes the undercard even stronger as this should be a very exciting matchup.

Shahbazyan (11-2) is the No. 11 ranked middleweight in the UFC. Just 23 years old, Shahbazyan made a big splash to kick off his UFC career as he won his first four fights in the Octagon, including a brutal head kick KO over Brad Tavares at UFC 244 that announced he was a serious contender at 185lbs. However, since the fight with Tavares, Shahbazyan has struggled, losing his last two fights to Derek Brunson and to Jack Hermansson. Shahbazyan is still super young and has plenty of time to reach his potential, but the UFC matchmakers are doing him no favors by pitting him against a stud here in Imavov.

Imavov (10-3) is only 25 years old himself and is already 2-1 in the UFC with wins over Ian Heinisch and Jordan Williams, with a loss to Phil Hawes. The product of The MMA Factory is looking to follow in the footsteps of his teammate, new interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane, as he looks to bring another belt home to France. If Imavov is to go in there and beat Shahbazyan, it would give him a top-15 ranking in the UFC middleweight division.

Who do you think wins this middleweight fight at UFC 268, Edmen Shahbazyan or Nassourdine Imavov?