Edmen Shahbazyan releases statement following second straight loss to Jack Hermansson at UFC Vegas 27

UFC middleweight prospect Edmen Shahbazyan has released a statement following his unanimous decision loss to Jack Hermansson at UFC Vegas 27.

After losing to Derek Brunson via TKO in his last outing, most fans assumed that Shahbazyan would get a step down in competition for his next fight considering he’s just 23 years old and is someone who will likely have a long career in the Octagon. However, the UFC booked him against Hermansson in another tough matchup against a grappler. Although Shahbazyan had success in the first round with his striking, he began to tire after the first five minutes as he struggled to deal with the heavy grappling attack of Hermansson. In the end, Hermansson won a unanimous decision with 29-27 scorecards.

Following the loss, Shahbazyan took to his social media to release a statement on his defeat to “The Joker.” Check out what “The Golden Boy” wrote on his Instagram below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPOKcDPH0wO/

Thank you all for your love and support!! I know I’m capable of better. In this fight game, small mistakes or decisions can change the whole fight. I’m gonna work harder and be back the best version of me. Never quit, I will always put my heart and soul out there all the way.

There is no shame in losing to Hermansson and Brunson, who are two of the top-10 fighters at 185lbs. But the fact that Shahbazyan was dominated so much in the grappling departments in those fights shows that he still has a lot of holes in his game that need to be shored up before he becomes a title contender. With his powerful striking, Shahbazyan is always going to be a tough out at 185lbs. But until he learns how to stop the takedown and figure out how to deal with top-heavy grapplers, he will need to take a step back.

What do you think is next for Edmen Shahbazyan after losing to Jack Hermansson at UFC Vegas 27?