Edmen Shahbazyan vs Anthony Hernandez Betting Prediction
With another UFC events coming this weekend, let’s shift our focus on the co-main event bout between middleweights Edmen Shahbazyan and Anthony Hernandez taking place at the APEX. Two of the most exciting young talent in the UFC meet early in their careers to see who’s ready for the next step.
Read along for a betting analysis, with the official Shahbazyan vs Hernandez prediction ahead of making your UFC picks final for this weekend’s betting slate.
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Anthony Hernandez
Location of the game: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, NV.
Date and Time: Saturday, May 20. 7:00 PM ET
How to Watch: ESPN+
Shahbazyan is coming off a must-win victory over Dalcha Lungiambula via TKO last December.
Hernandez is making his first appearance since his submission victory over Marc-Andre Barriault last September.
Shahbazyan was one of the most hyped-up prospects in UFC history when he came onto the scene after a great performance at DWCS. He got pushed up the ladder too fast, then lost three fights in a row in one year. Now he holds a professional record of 12-3 with 10 TKO/KO and 1 submission finish.
“The Golden Boy” is a product of the new generation of MMA. He has an all-around skillset that has allowed him to score big knockout finishes. Along with averaging 2.31 takedowns landed per 15 minutes in the octagon, and a 65% takedown defense.
After a slow start to his UFC career, Hernandez has rattled off three wins in a row. With two of those being submission finishes. The turning point of his career seems to be when he submitted a 7-time BJJ world champion in Rodolfo Vieira in 2021.
He averages 4.03 significant strikes landed per minute in the UFC, at an impressive 59% clip. To go along with his efficient striking, he shows his best work on the ground. Hernandez averages a whopping 6.49 takedowns landed per 15 minutes inside the octagon, with 2.4 submission attempts to go along with those takedowns.
No injuries have been reported to the NSAC.
UFC odds have Hernandez as the -240 betting favorite over the +205 Shahbazyan. Hernandez has turned himself into a betting favorite after years of being the underdog in the UFC. And Shabazyan has stepped down as the betting favorite in most of his bouts.
This has the potential to be the fight of the night this weekend. With both of these young men having the skill set that they do. They can both trade punches, have tough chins, and endless gas tanks.
Before making the final Shahbazyan vs Hernandez prediction, make sure you take a look at all the betting lines available for this matchup–in that case. You can wager your money for the best possible outcome.
An interesting betting line is the over 1.5 rounds being -150, but the fight going the distance is at +220. This shows us that oddsmakers expect this to be a late-round finish by Hernandez. Something he has shown he likes doing.
When breaking down this matchup and watching the recent fights of both fighters, this is a very tough fight to pick. Shahbazyan has a lot of raw talent and skill. But Hernandez is a savage in all areas of fighting and has proven he is actually a world-class submission artist.
- The final Shahbazyan vs Hernandez prediction is that it is going to be a war, and Hernandez is going to get his hand raised.
We were leaning toward Shahbazyan, but Hernandez is too good to pick against right now.
Hernandez knows he can finish anybody in the world, and that confidence is tough to beat. Don’t be surprised if this is the last time we watch Hernandez in the APEX–his style is made for packed arenas.
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