Prediction: Edmen Shahbazyan via TKO
Muniz has that world-class jiu-jitsu, and when he gets guys down, he’s a nightmare. He’s long, he’s strong, and he knows exactly how to use his size to lock up control and work towards submissions. That’s always going to be the red flag when picking against him. But the thing is, every fight starts on the feet, and that’s where Shahbazyan has a massive edge.
On the feet, Edmen’s sharper, faster, and far more dangerous with his hands. Muniz doesn’t really invest in striking defense. He uses his striking mostly as a way to set up his grappling entries. That means when he’s on the back foot, he’s wide open, and Edmen has the tools to take advantage of that. If Shahbazyan pressures and keeps Muniz retreating, it makes the takedown setups way harder and forces Muniz into uncomfortable spots. That’s where Edmen’s straight shots and combinations can start piling up damage.
The key for Shahbazyan is just discipline. He can’t give Muniz easy entries by standing still or backing himself up to the cage. If he’s the one dictating and letting his striking flow, Muniz is going to have a rough night. And once Edmen starts landing clean, it’s not going to take much to hurt Muniz, because Muniz doesn’t react well when he’s forced into defensive exchanges.
So even though Muniz has the exact style that’s always been scary for Edmena , if Shahbazyan does what he should and keeps the pressure on, the striking gap is too big. That’s why the pick is Shahbazyan by finish, even if betting it feels a little too risky with Muniz’s submission threat always lurking.