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Nassourdine Imavov: Full Speed Ahead
France’s Own Nassourdine Imavov Searches For His Third Top 10 Win Of 2024 When He Takes On Brendan Allen At UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Saint Denis In Paris
French middleweight Nassourdine Imavov wants to make 2024 his year.
A loss to former 185-pound champion Sean Strickland and a no contest against Chris Curtis made 2023 a year to forget, but Imavov rebounded with back-to-back wins in February and June to skyrocket up the rankings.
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The No. 4 ranked middleweight is now just days away from his third fight this calendar year when he returns to the Octagon in front of his hometown crowd at Accor Arena in Paris, France. At UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Saint Denis, Imavov has the chance to defeat his third Top 10 opponent in just seven months - a feat that could move him a massive step closer to the title.
“This is my third fight in seven months in the Top 10,” Imavov said. “I don’t know if someone achieved that before. I think that getting this win would put me as a serious contender for the belt. I’m not like the other ones claiming on social media that they deserve the belt or whatever. I’m just coming into the Octagon, fighting and showing people why I deserve the belt.”
First, he’ll need to get through surging middleweight contender Brendan Allen, who has won each of his last seven fights—five by rear-naked choke. While Allen has defeated the likes of Chris Curtis and Bruno Silva, both known for their striking prowess, Imavov believes his athleticism will be too much for Allen to handle on fight night.
“I’m the fastest fighter in this weight class,” Imavov said. “I could even fight in welterweight, but I’m very comfortable in middleweight. I’m the fastest striker in the division, and I think he hasn’t faced someone that strikes as fast, as accurate and as strong as me. And I don’t think he has a big chin, so let’s see on Saturday night.
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“We don’t underestimate no one. This guy is 12-2 in the UFC, he’s on a seven-fight win streak, and we know he’s very strong, he’s a very tough fighter. We know he’s very strong, but he’s not as strong as me. That’s it.”
After defeating former title challenger Jared Cannonier in June, Imavov was hoping to face someone ahead of him in the rankings - a fair ask for someone with back-to-back Top 10 wins. While none of those fights materialized, two things remained more important: staying active and performing in front of his hometown fans during the UFC’s return to Paris.
Imavov competed during the UFC's inaugural trip to Paris in 2022, defeating Joaquin Buckley in front of a packed crowd of over 15,000 fans. After missing out on the UFC’s second annual trip in 2023, it was essential for Imavov to compete on this year's card.
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“It’s incredible to fight in front of the crowd in Paris,” Imavov said. “The atmosphere in Paris, you will not see it anywhere else. I already fought two years ago for the first UFC Paris. It was a big crowd, big atmosphere. I love that and that’s why this year I asked the UFC to fight in Paris because there were not any fighters in front of me [in the rankings] that were able, but I agreed to fight someone behind me just to fight in front of my crowd.
“I love fighting and that’s it. That’s what we do as fighters, we fight. This is the third one in 2024, but maybe not the last. I’d like to have another shot in December. I like to stay active. I’m 28 years old and it’s better for me to fight when I’m in good shape and that’s the right moment before it’s too late. Let’s give the fans what they expect from me: big shows.”
UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Saint Denis took place live from Accor Arena in Paris, France on September 28, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!