Nassourdine Imavov made a bold statement in the UFC middleweight division, claiming the most significant victory of his career with a stunning knockout over former champion Israel Adesanya at UFC Fight Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
Adesanya’s First Non-Title Bout in Six Years
This event marked a milestone for Adesanya as it was his first non-title bout in nearly six years. Coming off two consecutive losses to Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland, Adesanya entered the fight looking to regain his form. Prior to Saturday’s bout, Adesanya’s most recent non-title fight was a three-round victory over Anderson Silva in 2019. This main event was also notable as it was Adesanya’s 13th consecutive five-round fight, a significant contrast to Imavov’s fourth main event in the UFC in the last two years, as he continues to adjust to the spotlight.
Adesanya’s UFC Career Recap
Adesanya’s MMA career began with an impressive 20-0 record, with his first loss coming in 2020 when he challenged Jan Blachowicz for the 205-pound title but lost by unanimous decision. In 2022, Adesanya’s reign as middleweight champion ended with a loss to his former kickboxing rival, Alex Pereira, who has since moved up to 205 pounds and claimed that title as well. After reclaiming the middleweight belt with a knockout win over Pereira at UFC 287 in 2023, Adesanya faced another setback in his next bout, losing by unanimous decision to Sean Strickland.
Strickland’s victory was followed by another change in the middleweight title, as Du Plessis defeated Strickland in a split decision at UFC 297, setting up a title defense for Du Plessis against Adesanya at UFC 305. In this fight, Adesanya suffered his first-ever submission loss when Du Plessis overwhelmed him in the fourth round.
Imavov’s Knockout Victory in Round 2
Adesanya appeared solid in the opening minutes of the fight, stuffing an early takedown attempt from Imavov and responding with a lateral drop of his own. The former champion stayed sharp on the feet, switching stances smoothly and evading attacks. However, things took a turn in Round 2 when Imavov unleashed a massive overhand right, sending Adesanya crashing to the canvas. The knockout came less than 30 seconds into the round, and despite Adesanya’s efforts to recover, the referee stopped the fight.
Imavov, ranked No. 5 in the middleweight division before this fight, has been on a steady rise in the UFC, coming off notable victories over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, and Brendan Allen. The 29-year-old French fighter is now 8-2 in the UFC, with one no contest. His only previous losses were a majority decision to Phil Hawes in 2021 and a five-round defeat to Strickland at 205 pounds on short notice. Imavov made it clear in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder that he is now targeting a title shot, and his dominant win over a former champion like Adesanya has certainly moved him closer to that goal.
UFC Returns to Saudi Arabia
The event, held at the ANB Arena, marked only the second UFC event in Saudi Arabia. The organization first debuted in the country seven months ago, with another middleweight showdown featuring former champion Robert Whittaker. Whittaker quickly dispatched Ikram Aliskerov with a first-round knockout.
Whittaker, who had previously fought Adesanya, spent time at the City Kickboxing gym in Auckland, New Zealand, helping prepare Adesanya for Imavov despite their past rivalry. Adesanya had mentioned that Whittaker “brightened up the later part of this camp” in a pre-fight interview.
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