Edmen Shahbazyan has his first fight of 2023.
The 25-year-old UFC middleweight is expected to take on Anthony Hernandez at a UFC event on May 20. A venue and location have yet to be announced.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie following a report from UFC broadcast partner ESPN on Wednesday.
Shahbazyan (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is coming off a TKO win over Dalcha Lungiambula in December at UFC 282. The victory snapped a three-fight losing streak and also earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Hernandez (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has won three straight since losing to Kevin Holland in May 2020. In his last showing, Hernandez defeated Marc-Andre Barriault with a technical submission back in September.
The updated lineup for the UFC’s May 20 event includes:
- Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
- Anthony Hernandez vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
- Ilir Latifi vs. Rodrigo Nascimento