Back then, he was the hottest prospect in the promotion and had just beat the brakes off Brad Tavares. This time, he had seen the ups and downs of the fight game and felt better off for it.
“I’ve matured as a fighter and improved in a lot of my areas of my fight game, that’s for sure,” he said. “In 2019, I was 21, so now I’m 25 and am a lot better.”
Dern vs Hill Main Event Preview
Shahbazyan made a big change prior to his bout with Lungiambula. After spending his whole MMA journey at Glendale Fight Club outside of Los Angeles, “The Golden Boy” left for Las Vegas to start anew.
Working with Dewey Cooper and Jason Manly, combined with the myriad bodies available at Xtreme Couture, Shahbazyan waded through the unknown of living outside his hometown for the first time.
Not that he needed it, but the victory also provided validation. The move worked, and he is loving life as “Vegas Edmen” — at least for now. He has yet to experience a full summer in the desert, but weather aside, Shahbazyan believes in everything he has done that led him to where he is now.
