Overview
- Multiple outlets report the matchup is in the works for UFC Vegas 118 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, with conflicting dates listed as June 6 or June 8.
- The bout was first reported by Marcel Dorff and later verified to MMA Junkie and MMA Fighting by sources, with no official UFC announcement noted in the coverage.
- Allen, a top-10 middleweight coming off a short-notice TKO of Reinier de Ridder in October, would put his ranking at risk against an unranked opponent.
- Shahbazyan enters on a three-fight winning streak capped by a first-round knockout of Andre Muniz at UFC 320.
- The event is slated to be headlined by Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim, while the Allen–Shahbazyan booking has been widely characterized as a surprising piece of matchmaking.