UFC Vegas 5: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan fight preview

Longtime Top 10 ranked middleweight Derek Brunson looks to continue his rebound and climb the ranks on Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 31 (UFC Vegas 5). To do so, he’ll have to defeat fast-rising 22-year-old Edward Shahbazyan.

Brunson (20-7) has long been fighting his way to the top of the UFC middleweight division, but hasn’t quite been able to reach the pinnacle and get a title shot. With back-to-back wins over Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch last year, Brunson hopes that his first fight of 2020 will be another huge step in the right direction.

Undefeated in his 11 professional bouts, Ronda Rousey managed Shahbazyan is looking for the biggest victory of his career under the brightest spotlight, as he and Brunson headline the UFC’s return to Las Vegas following a month-long stint on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

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(Video courtesy of UFC)