UFC Fight Night 173: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Roe Jogan
- May 21
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 173: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan took place on August 1, 2020 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas — the first card back in Nevada after the UFC's July stint on Fight Island. The event was chaos before it even began: the original main event (Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana) was scrapped when Aldana tested positive for COVID-19, two further fights were cancelled on fight day itself, and the card shrank from 15 scheduled bouts to just eight. What remained was a night that delivered genuine drama.
Derek Brunson derailed one of the sport's most hyped prospects, stopping the undefeated Edmen Shahbazyan in the third round. Jennifer Maia submitted Joanne Calderwood with a first-round armbar. Vicente Luque produced a trademark highlight-reel KO. And Dana White, acknowledging the chaotic circumstances, handed out six Performance of the Night bonuses — one to every fighter who finished.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, August 1, 2020
📍 Venue: UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada, USA (UFC Vegas 5)
👥 Attendance: 0 (behind closed doors — COVID-19 pandemic)
📺 Broadcast: ESPN / ESPN+ (UFC on ESPN+ 31)
🏆 Main Event: Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan — Middleweight (replacement main event)
✅ Result: Derek Brunson def. Edmen Shahbazyan via TKO (Punches) (Round 3, 0:26)
🥇 Champion: Title not on the line
The Build-Up
The original headliner was a women's bantamweight clash between former UFC champion Holly Holm and Irene Aldana. On July 22, Aldana tested positive for COVID-19 and both fighters were removed from the card. The matchmakers promoted a middleweight contest between Derek Brunson and Edmen Shahbazyan to main event status, giving the undefeated 22-year-old prospect his biggest stage to date.
Shahbazyan entered at 11-0, trained by Edmond Tarverdyan and heavily promoted as a future champion in the making. He was a heavy betting favourite. Brunson, a proven top-ten veteran who had fought for the title years earlier, was considered a test Shahbazyan was expected to pass on his way up. The fight card continued to shed bouts: a COVID-positive result for Gerald Meerschaert cancelled his fight with Ed Herman, and Trevin Giles fainted moments before his scheduled walkout, cancelling his fight with Kevin Holland. The card went from 15 bouts to eight.
Main Event: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan
Derek Brunson ended the unbeaten record of Edmen Shahbazyan with a patient, methodical third-round TKO, stopping him at 0:26 of the final round. It was the biggest upset result of the card and one of the most significant upset wins in the middleweight division that year. Shahbazyan was installed as a -350 favourite; Brunson, at +285, was expected to be outgunned.
Brunson's game plan was a revelation: instead of his normally frenetic attacking style, he came in patient and technical. He controlled with wrestling in the early rounds, scoring takedowns and wearing Shahbazyan down. The prospect showed the confidence and skill to survive the first two rounds, but Brunson's attrition was working. By the third, Shahbazyan was tired and beaten. Herb Dean waved off the fight at 0:26. The hype train had been officially derailed.
Brunson, 36, put himself back in the title conversation with a third consecutive win. For Shahbazyan, it was a reset moment — but also, ultimately, a lesson in how quickly the UFC's elite can adjust to prospects who haven't yet been tested at the top level.
Co-Main Event: Maia vs. Calderwood
Jennifer Maia submitted Joanne Calderwood with an armbar at 4:29 of round one in a women's flyweight co-main event that elevated Maia into the title picture. Calderwood had been the more aggressive early but Maia's grappling proved too much: she locked up the arm from the bottom, extended the joint and Calderwood had no choice but to tap. The win earned Maia a title shot against Valentina Shevchenko later that year.
Full Results
Main Card
Derek Brunson def. Edmen Shahbazyan — TKO (Punches) (Round 3, 0:26)
Jennifer Maia def. Joanne Calderwood — Submission (Armbar) (Round 1, 4:29)
Vicente Luque def. Randy Brown — KO (Knee and Punches) (Round 2, 4:52)
Bobby Green def. Lando Vannata — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3, 5:00)
Ed Herman vs. Gerald Meerschaert — CANCELLED (Meerschaert COVID positive)
Kevin Holland vs. Trevin Giles — CANCELLED (Giles fainted moments before walkout)
Preliminary Card
Jonathan Martinez def. Frankie Saenz — TKO (Knee and Punches) (Round 3, 0:57) | Martinez missed weight (140.5)
Nathan Maness def. Johnny Munoz — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3, 5:00)
Jamall Emmers def. Vince Cachero — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3, 5:00)
Chris Gutierrez vs. Cody Durden — Draw (Unanimous) (Round 3, 5:00)
Bonuses & Awards
In recognition of the chaotic circumstances that reduced the card to eight fights, Dana White awarded six Performance of the Night bonuses — one to every fighter who secured a finish. There was no Fight of the Night award.
🏆 Performance of the Night (x6): Derek Brunson, Jennifer Maia, Vicente Luque, Bobby Green, Jonathan Martinez, Jamall Emmers ($50,000 each)
Records & Milestones
🥊 Edmen Shahbazyan suffered the first loss of his professional career, ending an 11-fight unbeaten run. He was 22 years old.
🥊 The card lost 7 of its 15 original bouts to COVID-positive tests, travel restrictions, and on-the-day medical withdrawals — one of the most disrupted events of the pandemic era.
🥊 Trevin Giles fainted before his scheduled walkout — one of the most unusual pre-fight incidents in recent UFC history. Dana White later confirmed he personally called Ed Herman to offer a replacement fight for Holland, but Herman was outside the quarantine bubble.
🥊 Jennifer Maia's armbar win earned her a UFC flyweight title shot against Valentina Shevchenko, which took place at UFC 255 in November 2020.
Legacy & Impact
UFC Fight Night 173 is remembered primarily for two things: the spectacular implosion of a stacked card due to pandemic chaos, and the spectacular performance of Derek Brunson in delivering the most significant upset of his career. The event is a vivid snapshot of what 2020 meant for combat sports — even when everything went wrong before the first punch was thrown, the fighters who made it into the Octagon gave the sport something worth watching.
Shahbazyan's loss recalibrated expectations around one of the sport's most hyped young prospects. Brunson, Maia, and Luque all benefited enormously from the night's results. And Kevin Holland, denied his fight when Giles fainted, would return to FN 174 the following week and begin a remarkable run of finishes.
FAQ
Why was Holm vs. Aldana removed from UFC Fight Night 173?
On July 22, Irene Aldana tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to withdraw. Holly Holm was removed from the card as a result, and the pairing was rescheduled for October in the main event of UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana.
What happened with the Holland vs. Giles fight at UFC Fight Night 173?
Trevin Giles fainted just moments before his scheduled walkout, forcing the cancellation of his fight with Kevin Holland on the day of the event. Dana White personally attempted to find a replacement but was unable to because Ed Herman was outside the quarantine bubble. Holland was rebooked the following week at FN 174.
Why did UFC Fight Night 173 have six Performance of the Night bonuses?
Dana White awarded six bonuses rather than the standard four in recognition of the circumstances — the card had been scheduled for 15 bouts and finished with eight after a series of COVID-related cancellations. There was no Fight of the Night; instead all six bonuses went to fighters who secured finishes.
What did Brunson's win mean for his career?
Brunson extended his winning streak to three and put himself back in the title conversation at middleweight. He entered as a +285 underdog — the biggest favourite to be upset on the card — and delivered the night's biggest result. His subsequent performances would eventually earn him a number-one contender matchup against Israel Adesanya.
What happened to Jennifer Maia after her win at UFC Fight Night 173?
Maia's first-round armbar of Calderwood earned her a UFC flyweight title shot against Valentina Shevchenko. The fight took place at UFC 255 in November 2020, where Shevchenko retained her title by unanimous decision.
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