Leon Shahbazyan Record: 12-5-0

Building toward the UFC

One of his early statement wins came in October 2018, a first-round guillotine of journeyman Daniel McWilliams that showcased the choke he would lean on again and again. His 2019 Dana White's Contender Series shot ended in a third-round TKO loss to Phil Rowe, and a 2023 first-round TKO defeat to Ryan Loder at United Fight League 2 underlined the same pattern – dangerous on the mat, but vulnerable when caught standing. He answered with the best run of his career in 2025, reeling off first-round submissions including a guillotine of Aaron Phillips in July, a streak of finishes that finally earned him a UFC contract. He is scheduled to debut against Levan Chokheli at a UFC Fight Night in June 2026.

Fighting style

Shahbazyan is one of the most specialized submission hunters in the sport: 11 of his 12 wins have come by submission, the overwhelming majority of them guillotine chokes inside the first round, with just a single knockout to his name and not one decision victory. His game is built on aggressive front-headlock entries and a finishing instinct that turns scrambles into stoppages almost instantly. The flip side is just as defining – all four of his losses have come by knockout, every one a sign that his pressure-forward, grappling-first style can leave him exposed against strikers who beat him to the punch. He is, in short, a high-risk, high-reward finisher who tends to end fights one way or the other in a hurry.

Career highlights

• UFC contract on a finishing streak — rode a run of first-round submissions through 2025 and into 2026 to earn his place on the roster.
• Elite submission rate — 11 of his 12 career wins have come by submission, almost all by first-round guillotine choke.
• Glendale Fighting Club pedigree — trained alongside brother and UFC fighter Edmen Shahbazyan under Edmond Tarverdyan at one of California's most storied gyms.