Shahbazyan is coached by the man who famously coached Ronda Rousey, Edmund Tarverdyan, and showed his elite-level striking as he demolished Tavares in just two minutes, 27 seconds at Madison Square Garden.

Shahbazyan hurt Tavares with punches early on and swarmed his man looking to claim the early finish. But Tavares is known for his remarkable durability, and he managed to weather the early storm and get back to his feet.

But it proved to be only a temporary reprieve for Tavares, as Shahbazyan kept his composure, and kept landing strikes as he refused to allow the veteran to gain a foothold in the contest.

And, with his man hurt again and backed up against the cage, Shahbazyan threw a light left jab, followed by a perfectly-placed left high kick that sent his man down to the canvas for a huge knockout.

After the fight, Shahbazyan called for a shot at Top 10 opposition in the UFC's middleweight division as he declared himself as the next new contender at 185 pounds.

And after a performance like that, few will disagree.