Athletes
Nassourdine Imavov: ‘It’s About Myself’
Headlining In Paris For The First Time, Nassourdine Imavov Is Excited To Deliver For His Adopted Hometown And Earn A Title Shot With A Win Over Caio Borralho
Nassourdine Imavov is oozing confidence ahead of his main event against Caio Borralho in Paris.
Standing a sturdy 6-foot-3, the 30-year-old is moving through his fight week media obligations like someone who is acclimated to the spotlight because he is. On September 6, he steps into his fifth main event in his last seven fights and is fresh off the biggest win of his career: a second-round knockout over former middleweight king Israel Adesanya in Saudi Arabia. That February result stands as one of the biggest non-title statement victories of the year thus far, and it put Imavov on the inside track toward a title shot at 185 pounds.
Check Out The UFC Paris Fight Card
That brings him back to his adopted hometown of Paris, where he is 2-0 and where both he and Borralho are ostensibly competing for the first crack at newly minted champion Khamzat Chimaev. One could argue Imavov, who is 8-1 with one no contest in middleweight bouts since joining the roster in October 2020, is already deserving of a chance at gold, but he happily carries his four-fight winning streak into Accor Arena to prove himself once again.
“I know I deserve the title shot,” Imavov told UFC.com. “The thing is you need to take into account the chronology. Khamzat beat (Robert) Whittaker before I beat Adesanya, so he was supposed to be the next title contender, and the UFC knows I don’t want to wait, so they offered me Caio. The right time to take Caio was Paris in September, so here we go.”
His Brazilian counterpart might take exception to that description of events, instead offering the possibility that the promotion offered Imavov a fight with Borralho earlier in the summer.
In Borralho’s mind, UFC is forcing Imavov into this No. 1 contender bout, a claim to which Imavov takes exception.
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(Borralho) is a liar,” Imavov said. “He lies too much. You can see (it) on social media every time. I don’t like people lying. I think it’s a bad influence for the young generation, so when the cage closes on Saturday, I will show him, but I am smarter than what I was, more experienced, so he can expect a finish, but slowly.”
Although Imavov is on the quieter side, he isn’t unfamiliar with some prefight tension. He had a Chris Curtis-related flare-up during his main event win over Roman Dolidze in 2024, and he also took part in a highly entertaining bout with Joaquin Buckley during UFC’s first trip to Paris in September 2022.
In both instances, Imavov came out victorious, showing an ability to channel the energy of the crowd and moment in a positive manner. With even more experience, and therefore more maturity, under his belt, Imavov is eager to put on a show in front of the Parisian fans.
“It will be unbelievable,” he said. “It will be fireworks. It will be fire. It will be the best event we’ve had here in Paris, so I’m looking forward to it, and I’m just looking forward to this fight.
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“I will take the whole energy of the arena. That’s what I like. I love the crowd. I love them. I love the atmosphere and energy, so I will take everything for myself into the cage.”
While this matchup is widely considered a bout with a title shot on the line, there is the looming specter of the main event between Reinier de Ridder and Anthony Hernandez on the horizon. That bout, scheduled for October 18 in Vancouver, features two of the hottest middleweights in the division. Results and timing are everything, so one wouldn’t be blamed for seeing that matchup as some motivation to earn a win with style points in the City of Light.
That isn’t on Imavov’s mind, however. He is focused on himself and for good reason. When he makes the last walk of the night, the entirety of Accor Arena will be in the palm of his very capable hands, and he plans to deliver a performance worthy of that adulation.
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“I’ve done more than anyone (in the title picture),” he said. “They know I’m next for the title shot, so I will do my fight, and that’s it. I always come for the finish, so it’s not about ‘RDR’ and ‘Fluffy’ fighting. It’s about myself.”
UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs Borralho took place live from Accor Arena in Paris, France on September 6, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!