Gerald Meerschaert: a “finisher against finisher” battle

LAS VEGAS – Edmen Shahbazyan is convinced that his fight against Gerald Meerschaert will inevitably lead to success.

Shahbazyan (13-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) will face Meerschaert (36-17 MMA, 11-9 UFC) on Saturday in UFC on ESPN 62 (ESPN/ESPN+) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

On paper, Shahbazyan vs. Meerschaert could be considered a duel between striker and grappler. However, since both fighters have a very high win rate, Shahbazyan has given their fight a different name.

“I think it's more finisher versus finisher,” Shahbazyan said at media day on Wednesday. “I think that makes for a very exciting fight. The training camp has been fantastic, starting from the last one – I improved my skills from the last one – so it was always going to be great. Now I'm ready.”

Shahbazyan has been criticized in the past for his endurance letting him down during his three-fight losing streak against Derek Brunson, Jack Hermansson and Nassourdine Imavov. He has since won two of his last three fights and dismissed that notion before this fight.

“I'm ready for war, I can tell you that,” Shahbazyan said. “I'm in top shape. I'm in top shape and I'm going to be strong all the way through.”

Meerschaert has more than three times as much experience as Shahbazyan, but the 26-year-old is ready to show he is up to the challenge.

“I know he's a good fighter,” Shahbazyan said. “He's had a lot of fights in the UFC like I have – and yes, finisher against finisher. That excites me. It's an exciting fight and fights like that really motivate me to work even harder to show my skills against a guy like him.”

For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.