EDMEN SHAHBAZYAN UFC FIGHTER Interview pre fight press conference on media day, Fight Night, Apex

weekend's UFC uh he's been on the program a couple times let's welcome back to the show Edmond shabazian Edmond how are you good guys how are you guys doing not too bad we appreciate your time you know it seems like just yesterday it was your first UFC fight you did our show and now as I'm looking it's like that was five years ago already does it feel like that yeah yeah it's crazy how time flies huh like I'm looking at it right now this is I believe my 11th UFC fight so I kind of basically grew up in the UFC so it's a blessing and I'm I'm thankful for it and it's another great opportunity for me this weekend you know each fight for me in the UFC is is a blessing what's the biggest difference from that first fight you know whether it's nutrition whether it's the media whether it's you know now you know social media that's blown up what what do you think is the the biggest difference so far in those five six years just well the main thing is experience and then just knowledge on like fighting and understanding uh you know how how like the high level Works understanding different techniques you know just building my like fight IQ and all that in the UFC and getting to have that at a young age and really build on that it's been incredible and I'm thankful for it I know that that that we're past this but but I'm curious it has been a little while since we spoke what was it like the first time you're watching whether it was ESPN or or fox or whatever you it could have been and you know they had that little roll down at the bottom and your name is on the scroll at the bottom of ESPN oh yeah that that that was awesome it was amazing and it's just a real moment at that uh at that time but you know now like if I see it it's like natural to me honestly it's like nature I swear like it's fight we now but it's like I've done it so many times now and it's it feel it feels nice it feels nice I don't back back then I would get more of those like nerves and Jitters and now like it's a lot less and you know it's it's more natural you're talking about fight week and I was going to ask that you know what is the difference of fight week from five years ago is it all the same obviously the feelings are different but do you try to do the same things every fight week um yes so like the the feelings are different yeah the obviously like the media day you have the media day you have the signings you have all those check and stuff those are all the same but uh as far as feeling it's it's I feel way better now like way more relaxed way like it's easier for much easier for me like I'm not worried about anything I have a good team by me that like is with me throughout the whole time I I kind of have like routines I do during fight week that I follow I have my nutritionist I have all these stuff that are so helpful and uh prepare me for Fight Night how do you decide and typically it's on Wednesday how do you decide where you sign on the poster and how does the autograph change from poster one to the the 100th poster honestly My Autograph is not that hard so it it it's the same one the whole time but uh I like sitting on the side where you know I sit on the right side because I'm right-handed and I I like that side always I I don't know where I always choose like a open Spot somewhere like small and I just go Ed man I I I was saying earlier to Randy that the middleweight division you know it there it was always been one of the greatest most exciting divisions and then you know inevitably it it takes a little down downward tumble and people are focused on the heavyweight division or it could be light heavyweight but I think right now the middleweight division is getting a lot of attention what do you your thoughts on your Division and and the people that are on top oh yeah I think it's a very uh stacked division right now and there's a lot of good fights that could be made and competition is just getting better and better so it's a very interesting Division I think it's going to continue being interesting and a lot of people are going to keep talking about it because of the highly skilled athletes in in this division you know obviously every division has highly skill athletes but I feel like the middleweight division is is just it right now I don't know well and speaking of uh competition and and skilled uh talk about Gerald your opponent uh this Saturday yeah you know Gerald's a very experienced uh fighter he's been in UFC for a while as well and has a lot of fights so uh I've done my footage on him I I've studied him I've you know I've trained for his specific style and I think he's a great opponent he's a great fighter you know good everywhere obviously his main area would be the ground um but I'm ready for that I've trained really really hard prepped with amazing people here in Vegas and yeah it's just now about going on Fight Night and Performing that's all you know I I never ask game plans and and that kind of stuff because obviously a you wouldn't tell us and B we don't want to know but you know when you are putting that together how much of it is you know you're getting prepared for the opponent and how much do you watch in this case Gerald's video or see some tendencies that he may do do you do any of that or do you not even need to worry about it because it's what you're GNA do so yeah it's obviously what I'm GNA do but uh I will watch some of his footage to uh catch on things he does or doesn't do well does well and doesn't do well so I I react off those in the fight but obviously in the fight everything could be completely different you know he might come out a different way or a different approach so you have to be ready at all angles but um watching his fights and catching certain things he does in each fight is beneficial to use it in training and then eventually the fight so that that that's what I'll try to do I I I always say you know about game plans whether it's I also cover the NFL and you know I've had people say you know send me a list of the 10 questions you're going to ask kind of like what you just said with a game plan how do you even do that when if you're thinking left and something goes right it changes everything that you thought you were going to do yeah so that's why you you can't really uh I feel like if you lock into like one certain game plan um and then something goes like South and you don't have like a backup you can't really do it like that I feel like you're your mind's got to be pretty open in the fight you have to have a specific way you want the fight to go but um you can't just be like okay I'm gonna step this way and only this way and and just counter him or something like that you know it's got to be yeah you got to be open-minded and you know open to different situations the fight goes that's why in training uh in especially here we we train like each of my rounds could be a different style of fighter which can happen in the fight you know like he it could change up he could change up the way he fights in in the next round or the next round you know Adan do fighting odds motivate you for instance uh if you're if you're a favorite uh do does it help you to win the fight and if you're not chosen as the favorite if you're the underdog does that motivate you to win to fight so do you pay attention to fighting odds especially when you're out in Vegas no not really like my friends my friends will or something like that but I I don't really care it is is you know like fight outs it's cool for people to make money but you know yeah I don't really pay attention to really change the way I'm going to perform don't you hate though when people ask you should I bet on you like yeah I'm like what are you GNA say what how are you gonna answer that question I've heard that asked I'm always say bet the house on me the there you go give me your thoughts difference is there a difference to you Apex or or a big arena no honestly right now uh so since I'm living in Las Vegas uh Apex is awesome I'm literally 10 minutes away from the Apex I sleep in my own bed um it and obviously I train at the UFC pi and extreme Couture so uh it's it's literally like going to practice that that that's how it feels going to the Apex you know and it's it's it's amazing having it here and having the comfort of my own house before I ask what can the fans expect I'm sure you're aware it's been uh just about a year and a half since your last bonus so it it's I think it's time to do another bonus right yes sir of course I you know like I that's the thing when I fight I always try to perform amazingly and most of my fights H have been finishes so um you know it's always expect a great fight out of me because I always come in there uh very well prepared and to put on a performance but but correct me if I'm wrong yeah you could have a great performance but but if the opponent doesn't bring you know the same kind of whatever that word is I'm looking for you know it's it's hard to put that performance of the night or fight you know night together so I I think you have that dance partner so you know what can the fans expect on Saturday when you and Gerald uh you know get in the Octagon definitely definitely yeah he he brings it all the time so you you definitely expect the war here because we're both going to come out and you know Implement our game plans and go out try to finish each other there you have it Edmond as always thank you welcome back to the show have fun on Saturday get get through the next couple days and then I call it Christmas on Saturday CU you get to do what you love best yep yep thank you yes sir I know we have your address we're going to send you a care package from 8man strong as well as uh some bucked up energy drink for coming on and spending a couple minutes with us awesome thank you guys appreciate it take care that is Edmund shabazian back in the Octagon on Saturday we're going to hit this quick break when we return his opponent will be on Gerald mirart when we return this is Dale Murphy and you're talking sports with Randy Harris this is the