Middleweights and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) graduates Edmen Shahbazyan and Anthony Hernandez share the Octagon in the co-main event, each looking to build on recent triumphs.
Shahbazyan ended a one-year sabbatical and three-fight losing streak last time out, collecting a second-round stoppage win over Dalcha Lungiambula at UFC 282 in December. Still just 25 years old, he still has plenty of time to reclaim the buzz that accompanied his 4-0 start in the UFC and 11-0 start to career, with a victory here showing that clearly on the road back towards the rankings.
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Hernandez dropped two of his first three appearances inside the Octagon, but has since cobbled together a three-fight winning streak, bookended by impressive submission wins. He tapped out multiple-time BJJ world champion Rodolfo Vieira last year, and began his 2023 run with a similar second-round finish over Marc-Andre Barriault, adding a unanimous decision win over Josh Fremd at UFC 273 in between.
Shahbazyan showed flashes of upside early in his career, and Hernandez has displayed similar glimpses of late, so it will be interesting to see which of these two ascending middleweight talents will be able to dictate the terms of engagement and leave the APEX with a victory on Saturday.