After losing to Michael Chiesa and getting a quiet retirement, Niko Price got a chance to end things on a better note, and he did so with a dominating quick finish of Leon Shahbazyan.
Price seemed uncommitted to retirement afterward, however, hinting to Sean Shelby that he might return if the phone ever rang.
Price got right on the attack, landing a flurry of shots and fighting off a guillotine attempt from Shahbazyan in the process. Price remained on top as the fight went to the ground, though Shahbazyan looked for a couple of submissions from the bottom.
Price worked his way out through them, however, and he continued to land a barrage of punches until the referee finally waved off the contest in just under two minutes.
Price made his professional MMA debut in 2012, debuting in the UFC as a 7-0 fighter at UFC 207. He went 6-3 (1 NC) in his first ten Octagon bouts, including wins over Alan Jouban, Randy Brown, Tim Means and James Vick.
Price struggled to earn wins since 2020, however, ending his UFC tenure with a 3-8 (1 NC) record since that year. His wins in that span before tonight came against Alex Oliveira and Alex Morono.
