Leon Shahbazyan will walk into UFC Vegas 119 on Saturday in Las Vegas as a fighter many oddsmakers are backing against, even after a five-fight win streak. Levan Chokheli is listed as the favorite for the bout at Meta APEX, while Shahbazyan is priced as the underdog at +310.
That makes the matchup one of the sharper early reads on the UFC Vegas card. Shahbazyan is a welterweight contender who has won four straight against Aireon Tavarres, Aaron Phillips, Glaucio Eliziario and Robert Hale, with Ryan Loder handing him the lone loss in his last five bouts. Chokheli brings a different resume. The former Bellator contender has won four of his last five pro fights outside the UFC, beating Roman Faraldo, Michael Lombardo, Sabah Homasi and Alexandre Goncalves, with Lorenz Larkin dealing the loss in that stretch.
The betting market is not treating the streak the same way it treats the matchup. Chokheli is listed at -425, a steep number that reflects confidence in his UFC debut, while Shahbazyan’s run has still not shaken his underdog label. One reason is plain in the scouting read: Shahbazyan does not have the best defense on his feet, and that leaves him vulnerable if Chokheli can force the fight into open exchanges.
Both men are stepping into the UFC for the first time, which makes Saturday less a tune-up than a test of whether their recent form travels. For Shahbazyan, the question is whether a five-fight surge can overcome the market’s skepticism. For Chokheli, it is whether the favorite’s tag holds up under the pressure of a debut in Las Vegas. The first answer will come at UFC Vegas 119, and the odds suggest the second may arrive quickly.
