Edmen Shahbazyan’s Body Kicks Blunted Petroski’s Wrestling
Edmen Shahbazyan defeated Andre Petroski by unanimous decision at UFC Atlanta on June 14, 2025. The middleweight contest at State Farm Arena ended with scores of 30–27, 30–27 and 29–28 after Shahbazyan controlled much of the striking and defended crucial takedown attempts.
Patience established the range
Shahbazyan worked behind his jab and kicks to the body during a measured opening round. He occupied the center and delivered more consistent offense while limiting Petroski’s opportunities to bring the fight to the floor.
Petroski increased his urgency in the second and landed a right hook. Shahbazyan continued answering with combinations to the head and body, maintaining a composed approach rather than rushing into prolonged grappling exchanges.
A third-round body attack hurt Petroski
An accidental clash of heads briefly interrupted the final round. After action resumed, Petroski attempted a takedown, but Shahbazyan defended and restored the striking distance.
A heavy body kick later sent Petroski down. Shahbazyan elected to let him stand and continued defending subsequent attempts to wrestle, keeping the contest in an area where his offense had proved effective.
A second consecutive victory rewarded the approach
Shahbazyan completed the full fifteen minutes and received the decision from every judge. The result followed his knockout victory over Dylan Budka and ended Petroski’s three-fight winning streak.
The performance combined damaging attacks with the defensive work needed to preserve his preferred range. Petroski remained in the fight until the final horn, but his late takedown attempts did not change the overall direction.
Sources
- UFC: Atlanta event date, venue, divisions and outcomes
- UFC: official Atlanta judges’ scorecards
- UFC: Atlanta main-card results and fight summaries
- Cageside Press: jab, body kicks, takedown defense and preceding results
