LAS VEGAS – Edmen Shahbazyan sees his fight with Gerald Meerschaert inevitably delivering.
Shahbazyan (13-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) meets Meerschaert (36-17 MMA, 11-9 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 62 (ESPN/ESPN+) main card opener at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
On paper, Shahbazyan vs. Meerschaert could be viewed as a striker vs. grappler matchup. But with both fighters boasting a very high finish rate, Shahbazyan has a different label for their fight.
“I think it’s more finisher vs. finisher,” Shahbazyan said at Wednesday’s media day. “I think it makes for a very exciting fight. Training camp’s been amazing going off of the last one – skill building on the last one – so,it’s always been great. Now I’m ready.”
Shahbazyan has been criticized in the past for his cardio failing him in his three-fight losing skid to Derek Brunson, Jack Hermansson, and Nassourdine Imavov. Since then, he has won two of his past three, and dismissed that notion heading into this fight.
“I’m ready for war, I can tell you that,” Shahbazyan said. “I’m in prime shape. I’m in dog shape to be going all the way strong.”
Meerschaert has more than three times Shahbazyan’s experience, but the 26-year-old is ready to show that he can step up to the challenge.
“I know he’s a good fighter,” Shahbazyan said. “He’s had lots of fights in the UFC like myself – and yeah: finisher vs. finisher. It excites me. It’s an exciting fight, and these are the type of fights that really get me motivated to work even harder to show my skills against a guy like him.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.
