UFC Vegas 5 - Derek Brunson stops Edmen Shahbazyan via a brutal TKO
In the main event of tonight's UFC Vegas 5, Derek Brunson once again proved why he is one of the most experienced veterans in the UFC Middleweight Division right now.
The #8 ranked Middleweight came into this fight as the underdog, as he crossed paths with the undefeated 22-year-old Edmen Shahbazyan. With the last-minute changes made to the fight, this main event was contested within three rounds instead of being the typical five-round fight.
However, despite the 15-minute time limitation, Derek Brunson got the job done for himself in a spectacular fashion.
Derek Brunson finishes off Edmen Shahbazyan with an impressive TKO
Edmen Shahbazyan started off the bout in an aggressive manner, as he took center stage and immediately started throwing punches. However, Derek Brunson was smart enough to counter them and also took the former down, and had him on his back. 'The Golden Boy' slowly made his way up and got two big hooks for him. A knee by Shahbazyan but the resilient Brunson locked in, with the first round coming to close.
The fight restarted in the second round and Brunson connected with multiple solid shots, especially a left hand that seemed to have rocked Shahbazyan. The veteran Middleweight did some solid work in order to keep the fight in his favor, however, an eye poke from Brunson and ref Herb Dean had to pull the fighters apart.
As the fight restarted, Derek Brunson pretty much went into beast mode and used his striking skills and his tremendous wrestling skills to his advantage. Brunson managed to secure a takedown and this was pretty much the beginning of the end for Shahbazyan. With brutal punches and elbows, Shahbazyan took some heavy damage and Brunson kept hitting the former until the round came to a close after it did seem like Herb Dean had called the fight off at the buzzer.
Shahbazyan was consulted by the doctor but we do get a third round. But, it wasn't too long until Brunson picks up from where he left off and Herb Dean, almost immediately, stops the fight.
A huge win for Derek Brunson, as he stopped Edmen Shahbazyan in the third and final round of the fight via TKO (punches).