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UFC Welterweight

Leon Shahbazyan VS Levan Chokheli

Meta Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

Tale of the Tape

Leon Shahbazyan VS Levan Chokheli
12-6-0 Record 15-3-0, 1 NC
30 Age 29
193 cm Height 185 cm
189 cm Reach —
orthodox Stance —
100% Finish rate 80%
8% KO rate 80%
92% Sub rate 0%

Result Summary

Levan Chokheli def. Leon Shahbazyan TKO (punch) · R1 0:23

Levan Chokheli made a jaw-dropping statement in his UFC debut, needing less than half a minute to completely dispatch Leon Shahbazyan. The moment the fight began, the explosive Georgian prospect unleashed a series of brutal leg kicks that instantly compromised Shahbazyan's base. Seizing the opportunity, Chokheli swarmed forward with a ferocious combination of hooks and crosses that sent Shahbazyan crashing to the canvas. The referee immediately stepped in to wave off the fight at just 00:23 of the first round, awarding Chokheli a spectacular TKO victory.

Fight Overview

Leon Shahbazyan drops to welterweight for his UFC debut, arriving with a submission-heavy 12-fight résumé that includes four consecutive first-round finishes and 11 of 12 wins by tapout. He faces Levan Chokheli, who went 4-3 in Bellator at the same weight and is a one-punch knockout finisher; their contrasting finishing styles — Shahbazyan wants it on the ground, Chokheli wants it standing — give this debut card fight a clean narrative of grappler versus striker.

Keys to Victory

Leon Shahbazyan

  1. Get the fight to the mat as fast as possible using his submission-first game that has ended 11 of his 12 wins.
  2. Use his reach to threaten submissions from the clinch and deny Chokheli the space to load up on big shots.
  3. Survive the early striking exchanges on the feet and grind for takedowns rather than looking to counter-punch.

Levan Chokheli

  1. Keep the fight standing at distance and look for the single-shot power that has produced multiple knockout wins.
  2. Wrestle defensively and stay light on his feet to prevent being dragged into Shahbazyan's submission web.
  3. Land the right hand or overhand early in each round before Shahbazyan can establish clinch control and drag him down.

Last 5 fights

Leon Shahbazyan

  1. W Robert Hale Submission · R1 3:34 · 13 MAR 2026
  2. W Glaucio Eliziario Submission · R1 0:43 · 26 SEPT 2025
  3. W Aaron Phillips Submission · R1 0:47 · 17 JUL 2025
  4. W Aireon Tavarres Submission · R1 4:40 · 14 FEB 2025
  5. L Ryan Loder KO · R1 1:25 · 13 MAY 2023

Levan Chokheli

  1. W Alexandre Goncalves KO · R2 2:59 · 24 MAY 2025
  2. L Lorenz Larkin KO · R1 1:53 · 7 SEPT 2024
  3. W Sabah Homasi KO · R1 1:51 · 23 SEPT 2023
  4. W Michael Lombardo Decision · R3 5:00 · 21 APR 2023
  5. W Roman Faraldo Decision · R3 5:00 · 18 NOV 2022

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AI-generated This analysis was generated with AI and may contain errors.

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