Middleweight contenders Jack Hermansson and Edmen Shahbazyan will go to battle at the upcoming UFC 262 card on May 15 in Houston, reports MMA Fighting.
Multiple sources confirmed the matchup to MMA Fighting following an initial report from LA Times reporter Manouk Akopyan.
The bout will serve as a chance at redemption for both fighters coming off recent losses.
Following a stunning first-round submission over Kelvin Gastelum this past July, Hermansson fell to Marvin Vettori in a main event clash in his most recent outing. Overall, Hermansson has gone 5-2 in his past seven fights with his only losses coming to Vettori and top-five ranked middleweight Jared Cannonier.
As for Shahbayzan, the Contender Series standout will look to bounce back after suffering the first professional defeat of his career when he suffered a TKO loss to Derek Brunson in August 2020.
Prior to that setback, Shahbazyan had been on an impressive run to start his UFC career with four straight wins in the promotion including a vicious head kick knockout against the always durable middleweight contender Brad Tavares.
Now Shahbazyan clashes with Hermansson in a key fight at 185 pounds as part of the UFC 262 card headed to Houston in May. A vacant lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler is expected to headline the show.
