UFC Vegas 73 video: Anthony Hernandez mauls Edmen Shahbazyan for third-round TKO

Anthony Hernandez shook off a slow start to impose his will on Edmen Shahbazyan in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC fight card in Las Vegas.

The 185-pound matchup served as the penultimate bout at UFC Vegas 73. After getting caught by some sneaky punches early by his opponent, Hernandez was able to turn the tide. As the damage added up over the bout, “Fluffy” put it on Shahbazyan and eventually the action was mercifully stopped at 1:01 of the third round.

Watch the video of Hernandez’s finish in the video below.

Shahbazyan found success early in the first round with his striking, mostly with his jab that kept Hernandez off balanced. Eventually, Hernandez was able to take the action into his world — on the mat, while pushing a relentless pace. Shahbazyan even attempted a rare submission, but it was thwarted off and Hernandez stole the fight’s momentum as the first round ended.

The second was completely one-sided for Hernandez as he just mauled Shahbazyan for the entire five minutes, looking very close to getting a stoppage. It got so bad that referee Herb Dean warned Shahbazyan that he was on a short leash heading into the third round — a warning that rang true.

With the victory, Hernandez wins his fourth consecutive bout as he’s quietly put together an impressive run at 185.

For Shahbazyan, the learning curve continues as he’s now 1-4 over his past five octagon appearances.