Edmen Shahbazyan outworked Andre Petroski en route to his eighth career win inside the Octagon against Andre Petroski at UFC Atlanta.
After a relatively slow start, Shahbazyan picked things up in the final minute of the opening round, cracking Petroski with a stiff left hand that had his opponent wobbling. Shahbazyan also landed a lightning-fast body kick that echoed throughout the arena.
Unfortunately, the pace didn’t pick up much in the second. Petroski finally managed to get Shahbazyan to the mat near the halfway point of the round, though it only took Shahbazyan a few seconds to shake him off and get right back to his feet.
Shahbazyan landed a nice combination with roughly 30 seconds to go in the round, but he failed to capitalize on the moment, and both fighters ultimately walked back to their corners while being showered with boos from the disapproving live crowd.
The third and final round opened almost immediately with a clash of heads that brought a brief pause to the action. Perhaps that pissed off Shahbazyan because he came out swinging as soon as the fight restarted. Petroski used it as an opportunity to score a takedown, but like before, Shahbazyan quickly popped back up to his feet and separated.
Halfway through the round, Shahbazyan landed a vicious body kick that folded Petroski. Shahbazyan swarmed in and landed some ground-and-pound before letting Petroski back to his feet. Once back up, Shahbazyan coasted throughout the remainder of the round, likely knowing he’s on his way to a unanimous decision win.
Official Result: Edmen Shahbazyan def. Andre Petroski via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Check Out Highlights From Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Petroski at UFC Atlanta:
