Prediction: Edmen Shahbazyan via KO
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Andre Petroski is a classic “can the grappler survive the storm?” kind of matchup—and honestly, it’s hard to see Petroski making it out of the first few exchanges. This one screams Shahbazyan by violent finish if he shows up dialed in, and the stylistic matchup leans heavy in his favor.
Let’s not pretend Edmen doesn’t have flaws. Everyone knows the blueprint—pressure him, chain wrestle, drag him into deep water and break him. That’s been the move. But that plan only works if you can actually get to that stage of the fight after surviving the early storm that is his striking. And I just don’t see Petroski bringing the tools to get there clean.
Shahbazyan’s has real skills when it comes to his striking. He’s got serious power, throws clean, tight combinations, and when he finds a rhythm, he’s a sniper. He’s not just a wild brawler—he’s calculated, patient, and doesn’t need a ton of volume to end a fight. Petroski, on the other hand, loads up everything. No setups, no feints, no angles—just raw, predictable entries. That’s not going to cut it against a sharp striker like Shahbazyan.
The big red flag for Petroski is how obvious his wrestling is. He’s got solid strength and top control when he gets it going, sure—but his entries are slow, telegraphed, and built off pressure that he just doesn’t consistently apply. If you’re going to wrestle Edmen, you need to suffocate him from the start, make him panic, break his rhythm. Petroski’s just not that guy. He gives you too many looks where he stands and stares or throws from too far out—and that’s a death sentence against a guy with real knockout power.
Shahbazyan has struggled against fighters who force him to drown, but Petroski doesn’t swim that deep. He’ll walk forward, eat a clean shot, and suddenly the takedown he was looking for isn’t even there anymore. Expect Shahbazyan to catch him coming in with something big early, and once Petroski feels that power, it’s downhill fast.
This feels like a “get-right” fight for Edmen. Stylistically, Petroski is kind of tailor-made for him—slow, hittable, and not layered enough to threaten unless Edmen just completely checks out. But assuming he shows up locked in, this should be a quick one, and it’s all Edmen.