Niko Price reportedly set to face Leon Shahbazyan on October UFC Fight Night card

Niko Price's brief retirement is over. The welterweight, who stepped away from competition following a submission loss to Michael Chiesa in March, has been reinstated to the UFC roster and is set to return to action at UFC Fight Night on October 10 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Price will face Leon Shahbazyan, the younger brother of middleweight Edmen Shahbazyan, in what marks a significant test for both fighters. Price enters the bout on a difficult stretch, carrying a four-fight losing streak with three consecutive finishes against him. His record now stands at 16–11. Shahbazyan (12–5) is also looking to rebound after an inauspicious UFC debut. Despite arriving in the Octagon riding a four-fight submission streak—highlighted by three consecutive guillotine chokes—Shahbazyan was spectacularly knocked out in just 23 seconds by Levan Chokheli in June. He later announced his comeback via Instagram.

Shahbazyan's path to the UFC has been unconventional. He previously attempted to earn a contract through Dana White's Contender Series in 2019 but fell short, losing to Phil Rowe. His recent knockout suggests he may need time to adjust to the Octagon's elite level.

The October 10 card will be headlined by middleweight action between Brendan Allen and Christian Leroy Duncan. For Price, this represents a chance to halt his skid and prove his retirement wasn't premature; for Shahbazyan, it's an opportunity to show his early setback was an anomaly rather than a sign of things to come.