Preview: UFC Vegas 102 ‘Cannonier vs. Rodrigues’

Middleweights

Edmen Shahbazyan (13-5, 6-5 UFC) vs. Dylan Budka (7-4, 0-2 UFC)

ODDS: Shahbazyan (-355), Budka (+280)

There’s still a decent chance that Shahbazyan turns a corner, but getting there sure has been frustrating. Shahbazyan took the UFC by storm at age 21, racking up quick finishes and looking every bit the future title contender during his rise, particularly after a quick annihilation of Brad Tavares to cap off 2019. Then came Shahbazyan’s first main event against Derek Brunson, which started off well enough but eventually devolved into his getting exhausted and dominated ahead of a third-round stoppage. Sometimes a prospect loss is just a prospect loss, but in Shahbazyan’s case, the Brunson fight became the start of a trend that “The Golden Boy” has struggled to reverse. Whether it’s through adversity or success, Shahbazyan can’t sustain a high pace and winds up imploding after he dumps out his gas tank. Shahbazyan has obviously tried to be more patient and paced himself well, which worked in a win over A.J. Dobson to kick off 2024. However, his most recent loss to Gerald Meerschaert was another step back. Things went well until Shahbazyan got Meerschaert on the ropes, at which point he tired himself out going for a finish and got submitted shortly afterwards. Shahbazyan is still somehow only 27 years old, so there’s still plenty of time for things to suddenly click; and the good news is that this fight against Budka represents a clear step back in competition.

Budka did well to step in on 10 days’ notice to win a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, but his signing still came as a bit of a surprise. “The Mindless Hulk” scored a clear decision win but did so on the back of just about the least exciting and wrestling-heavy game plan you will ever see. Budka has continued along the grinder’s path in two UFC fights thus far but hasn’t found much success. Cesar Almeida bided his time to eventually score a knockout, while Andre Petroski had the wrestling to simply beat Budka at his own game. It’s unclear if Budka can even accomplish anything once Shahbazyan gets exhausted, but it’s also unlikely things get that far. The pick is Shahbazyan via second-round knockout.

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Cannonier vs. Rodrigues
Zalal vs. Kattar
Shahbazyan vs. Budka
Bonfim vs. Sadykhov
Vieira vs. Petroski
Delgado vs. Matthews
The Prelims