When 21-year-old Edmen Shahbazyan choked out 31-fight veteran Jack Marshman in just 72 seconds last July, the MMA world took notice.

And four months later, when Shahbazyan knocked out ranked middleweight Brad Tavares with a devastating left high kick in the first round, the hype machine was in full swing. It was easy to see why: here was a kid just barely old enough to drink, with a perfect 11-0 record – 10 of them first round finishes, nine of them knockouts – and now a highlight reel KO over one of 185’s most respected veterans.

By the time 2020 started, it was clear Shahbazyan was being groomed to be the next hot thing at middleweight. His coach, Edmond Tarverdyan, had hailed him as a future champion, and Shahbazyan was booked in a fight with top-10 contender Derek Brunson in the kind of test that, if passed, would elevate him into the division’s upper echelon.

Well, after a four-month delay, that fight finally happened last weekend. And against the UFC middleweight division’s top gatekeeper – I’ll have more later this week on how that term should not be used as an insult – Shahbazyan had the gate slammed in his face, going out early in the third round in a stoppage that likely should have come sooner.

Shahbazyan is still one of the most promising prospects at 185, but he’ll have to hold the title run for now. So what’s next for the “Golden Boy,” and how can he reach his still-exciting potential?

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The first thing that many people notice when they consider Edmen Shahbazyan is his coach, the aforementioned Tarverdyan, a somewhat controversial figure in MMA. His coaching is blamed by many for the career decline of his most famous pupil, Ronda Rousey, who looked more or less uncompetitive in her final two pro fights – him futilely yelling “HEAD MOOMENT” as Holly Holm dribbled Rousey’s head like a basketball has been an Internet meme for almost five years.

A native of Glendale, Calif., Shahbazyan practically grew up in Tarverdyan’s gym, training there from the age of 12 and frequently sparring with Rousey as a teen. Rousey is now his manager. Shahbazyan’s entire martial arts development has come under the watch of Tarverdyan and Rousey, and what has emerged is a young fighter with compelling talent, but some gaping, but correctable flaws.

Shahbazyan was 7-0 by the time he made his UFC debut in November 2018 with seven first-round knockouts, four of which came inside of a minute. That record in and of itself lent him a reputation as a dangerous striker, and he actually came into his debut fight in the Octagon a slight favorite of six-fight UFC veteran Darren Stewart, a heavy-handed Brit coming off two straight wins.

Anyone who looked at Shahbazyan’s record and expected another quick knockout was disappointed, however. Shahbazyan largely wrestled Stewart throughout the fight, winning a split decision in a contest that hinted at some of the issues Brunson exposed last week.

Shahbazyan showed strong functional wrestling throughout the fight, controlling the first two rounds with top position, but gassed hard in the third round and was nearly stopped when Stewart hurt him badly with a short elbow, tripped him and starched him with some harsh ground-and-pound shots. Shahbazyan won two rounds, but not only was his gas tank exposed, he didn’t look as impressive in striking exchanges as one might have hoped for someone with seven straight first-round KOs.

Afterwards came the run that really elevated his name: over the next calendar year he beat Charles Byrd, Marshman and Tavares in an average time of just over a minute. Against Byrd, he stuffed an early takedown and put his opponent to sleep with some vicious clinch elbows – he then absolutely ran through Marshman, taking him down quickly, hurt him with some aggressive ground and pound shots, took his back and locked in a rear naked choke in just over minute.

Those quick finishes papered over some of his faults, and Brunson was the perfect man to expose them. A former All-American wrestler with strong boxing ability, an improved gas tank and nearly a decade of UFC experience, Brunson has made a living being the big test for rising middleweights.

Although Shahbazyan edged the first round with his diverse striking, Brunson attacked him with his wrestling in the second round, and the 22-year-old almost immediately gassed out. Brunson looked clearly the more physically powerful and explosive fighter, and a ground and pound flurry in the last 10 seconds of the frame looked to have knocked Shahbazyan out – referee Herb Dean allowed Shahbazyan to be saved by the bell, but stopped the fight just seconds into the third when Brunson quickly took the youngster’s back and threatened him again with more undefended punches.

It was a disappointing loss, and one that damages his stock moving forward. He’s still just 22, with undeniable power, and his striking is really impressive when he gets into a groove – he strings together extremely impressive combinations mixing both his hands and his feet. He also shows great composure in the pocket, especially when searching for a finish, and he’s flashed the ability to score a takedown and control fighters on the ground.

But much like his manager Rousey finally ran into trouble when she started fighting opponents who could avoid the early finish, Shahbazyan has shown that life gets tough for him when he can’t get an opponent out of there in the first round.

His cardio issues became apparent as far back as the Stewart fight, where he was on the offensive most of the way, and they completely turned the Brunson fight. After waiting out Shahbazyan’s early flurries, Brunson went after the “Golden Boy” and forced him to defend against a strong wrestling attack for the first time in his career – defensive wrestling is often one of the biggest tests of a fighter’s cardio, and it’s one that Shahbazyan summarily failed.

He’s also looked somewhat hittable at times on the feet, an issue that naturally gets more pronounced as he runs out of energy later in fights. These are all issues that have recurred under Tarverdyan fighters: Rousey encountered them against Holm and Amanda Nunes, and so did heavyweight contender Travis Browne after he moved to the Glendale Fight Club in 2013.

Clearly, Shahbazyan can’t count on early finishes his whole career, especially against the higher ranks of the middleweight division. Many of his issues stem from those cardio deficiencies, and that has to be priority No. 1 for him moving forward.

He edged the striking game against Brunson until he gassed out – had he been able to survive those takedowns, get the fight back on the feet and keep his energy up, it looked like a winnable fight.

Many have suggested Shahbazyan switch camps and move away from Tarverdyan, an idea I would agree with, but one could understand if Shahbazyan feels loyal to the only coach he’s ever really known. For now, he’s still a fascinating young prospect with a very high ceiling, but something needs to change with his training or fighters like Brunson will continue to be his matchup nightmare.