Welterweight veteran Niko Price makes his final walk to the Octagon on Saturday night, facing prospect Leon Shahbazyan at UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Duncan inside the Meta APEX.
Price (16–11, 8–11 UFC [2 NC]) hopes to go out on top after dropping his last four fights, including a first-round submission loss to Michael Chiesa in March. Shahbazyan (12–5, 0–1 UFC) will look to rebound from a brutal promotional debut, getting stopped inside 30 seconds by Levan Chokheli in June.
Shahbazyan enters as a -142 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. Price is a +120 underdog, with the fight total set at O/U 1.5 rounds.
Niko Price vs. Leon Shahbazyan Fight Preview
Niko Price
- 16–11 (8–11 UFC, 2 NC)
- 10–6 (T)KO
- 3–3 SUB
Niko Price looks to wrap up a turbulent UFC career on Saturday night. The Florida native, 37, has dropped four straight fights heading into his retirement bout, including three straight stoppage losses. Two of those defeats came by submission, an alarming sign against a formidable grappler in Leon Shahbazyan.
That said, “The Hybrid” arrives in Las Vegas with unmatched Octagon experience and a superior strength of schedule. But given his compromised durability — nine of his 11 career losses have come inside the distance — a fairytale ending for Price could be hard to come by.
Leon Shahbazyan
- 12–5 (0–1 UFC)
- 1–5 (T)KO
- 11–0 SUB
Leon Shahbazyan’s UFC debut was a disaster. After getting knocked out in under 30 seconds in his 2019 appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, the Armenian contender worked his way back to MMA’s biggest stage earlier this year — only to get knocked out in under 30 seconds again by Levan Chokheli.
The 30-year-old big brother of middleweight contender Edmen Shahbazyan has porous striking defense and a nonexistent chin; all his losses have come by knockout or TKO. Still, Shahbazyan has a 100 percent finish rate behind a dominant ground game, with 11 of his 12 wins coming by submission. He’ll be eager to showcase his ultimate weapon, so long as he can avoid another quick finish.
Niko Price vs. Leon Shahbazyan Pick, Best Bet
Although Niko Price has a clear edge in Octagon experience and overall competition, he’ll face an uphill battle in his retirement fight. The veteran’s durability has faded considerably with age, and his recent submission losses point to a clear path to victory for tap-out specialist Leon Shahbazyan. The prospect is well-positioned to shrug off a bad first impression, flash his dominant ground game, and notch his first UFC win.
