Rising middleweight contender Edmen Shahbazyan will aim to maintain his hot streak alive when he squares off against Jun Yong Park in a pivotal 185-pound matchup at UFC Vegas 115 on April 4, 2026, on the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
Shahbazyan (16-5) has quietly re-established himself as a dangerous force within the middleweight division after suffering through a brutal stretch earlier in his profession. “The Golden Boy” enters this bout riding a three-fight winning streak that features impressive victories over Dylan Budka, Andre Petroski, and Andre Muniz. The 28-year-old Xtreme Couture product earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his first-round TKO demolition of Budka in February 2025, followed by a workmanlike decision over Petroski in June that showcased improved cardio. Most recently, Shahbazyan displayed his trademark explosive power by ending the submission specialist Muniz with ground-and-pound within the opening frame at UFC 320 in October.
FEROCIOUS FINISH IN THE FINAL SECONDS 😤@EdmenShahbazyan earns the TKO at the top of round 1!
[ #UFC320 LIVE NOW on the @ESPN app ] pic.twitter.com/qwkKg75Bz2
— UFC (@ufc) October 5, 2025
The resurgence marks an entire turnaround from Shahbazyan’s struggles between 2020 and 2024, when he went just 3-5 against elite competition, including losses to Derek Brunson, Nassourdine Imavov, Anthony Hernandez, and Gerald Meerschaert. After bursting onto the UFC scene with 4 consecutive victories—three by first-round knockout—following his Dana White’s Contender Series contract, the previous phenom’s rise stalled when facing stiffer competition. Now, with momentum firmly in his favor and fighting near his Las Vegas training base, Shahbazyan has the chance to crack into the middleweight rankings with an emphatic performance.
Standing across the Octagon will probably be South Korean veteran Park (19-7), a scrappy competitor known for his durability and grinding style that earned him the nickname “The Iron Turtle”. Park goals to bounce back from a choice loss to Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 321 in October, which snapped a two-fight winning streak that included victories over Brad Tavares and Ismail Naurdiev. The 34-year-old World Top Team representative has compiled a decent 10-4 record contained in the Octagon since his 2019 debut.
Park’s game revolves around relentless volume striking and suffocating grappling, best exemplified by his unanimous decision win over John Phillips in October 2020, where he set a three-round UFC record with 258 ground strikes landed. The Seoul native has alternated between highlight-reel submissions—he owns six profession rear-naked choke finishes—and grinding decisions throughout his 13-fight UFC tenure. Stylistically, this marks Park’s 14th promotional appearance as he prepares for what could possibly be his most difficult striker so far.
The matchup represents a high-stakes crossroads fight within the middleweight division. For Shahbazyan, a fourth consecutive victory against a seasoned veteran like Park would signal his readiness for ranked opposition and validate that his recent surge is legitimate fairly than a product of favorable matchmaking. For Park, defeating the surging knockout artist would reignite his own push toward contention and prove his toughness against elite-level striking.
UFC Vegas 115 airs survive Paramount+ with preliminary card motion starting at 6 p.m. ET and the essential card commencing at 9 p.m. ET from the intimate confines of the Meta Apex.
Confirmed Fights for UFC Vegas 115
Primary Card:
Women’s Strawweight: Virna Jandiroba (22-4) vs. Tabatha Ricci (12-3)
Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan (16-5) vs. Jun Yong Park (19-7)
Preliminary Card:
Women’s Bantamweight: Hailey Cowan (7-4) vs. Alice Pereira (5-1)
Flyweight: Alessandro Costa (14-5) vs. Stewart Nicoll (8-2)
Featherweight: Tommy McMillen (9-0) vs. Manolo Zecchini (11-4)
Flyweight: Dione Barbosa (8-4) vs. Melissa Gatto (9-2-2)
Middleweight: Azamat Bekoev (20-4) vs. Tresean Gore (5-4)
Event takes place April 4, 2026, at Meta Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada. Card subject to vary.