Brendan Allen discusses matchup decision against Edmen Shahbazyan
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 4, 2026, 4:10 PM
Last updated Jun 4, 2026
Brendan Allen is set to fight Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Fight Night 278, despite confusion over the matchup. Allen, recently coming off an upset victory against Reinier de Ridder, chose Shahbazyan, who is unranked, to stay active in the octagon. He cited financial incentives and the need for continued improvement as driving factors for his decision. Allen expressed frustration with his fighting options, noting that most top-ranked fighters were unavailable. He aims to showcase his skills in this upcoming bout.
- •Brendan Allen fights Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Fight Night 278.
- •Allen is coming off an upset win over Reinier de Ridder.
- •He selected Shahbazyan to maintain his activity in the cage.
- •Allen voiced frustrations over the availability of ranked fighters.
- •Financial gains also motivated his decision to fight Shahbazyan.
- 4:10 PMYahoo Sports — Brendan Allen explains why he called for matchup vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
"Brendan Allen is coming off a big upset win over RDR and yet, he finds himself now fighting down the rankings. He explains why:
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