Athletes
Nassourdine Imavov Sees All His Risks Paying Off
After Picking Up Three Wins In 2024, Nassourdine Imavov Hopes To Earn A Title Shot With A Win Over Israel Adesanya In Riyadh
About a year ago, Nassourdine Imavov felt stuck. He had come off a disappointing 2023 campaign, one which included two fights and zero wins. His climb up the middleweight rankings stalled, and although his back wasn’t exactly against the wall, he went into 2024 in must-win mode.
He responded accordingly, racking up three wins over the course of nine months to entrench himself in the Top 10 and set him on a collision course with arguably the biggest name in the division: Israel Adesanya. The bout, which headlines UFC’s second trip to Riyadh in as many years, is undoubtedly the biggest of Imavov’s career and proof that he made all the right moves last year.
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“A year ago, I took a risky decision,” Imavov told UFC.com. “I took a change. I felt like my career was being flattened, not progressing as much as I wanted to do … I decided to focus more on myself, and it worked very well for me.”
His change in training camp was well-documented, but all the changes outside of the Octagon don’t mean anything if Imavov didn’t get his job done inside of it. His win over Roman Dolidze was a good get-back performance, as well as proof he could sustain quality over the course of 25 minutes. Imavov’s next outing, a fourth-round TKO over former title challenger Jared Cannonier proved his worthiness in the title picture, and his dominant win over Brendan Allen in Paris cemented that status.
It was a busy schedule for the 29-year-old, and he relishes the fact that UFC continues to choose him for big fights. His bout against Adesanya is his fourth main event in his last six fights dating back to January 2023.
“I’m a fighter that is ready to fight anytime, anywhere, and I can fight anyone in the division,” he said. “The fact that I fought against Top 10 competition, and I won against them prepared me very well for this type of fight.”
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Each time he prepares for a five-rounder, Imavov believes he has a better sense of “managing the fight pace,” and his performances prove as much. Imavov’s bouncy striking style, compiled with solid grappling, make him a well-rounded puzzle for each opponent. When he needs to, he can stay on the outside and poke away at his opponent before sitting down on a strike to change the momentum like he did against Cannonier. Other times, like against Edmen Shahbazyan, he can mix in grappling to stymie his foe before wearing on them and finding the finish.
Rise of Nassourdine Imavov
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Rise of Nassourdine Imavov
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It's this well-roundedness that has Imavov in position to compete for the middleweight title. The timing works out beautifully, as well. Champion Dricus Du Plessis puts his belt on the line against Sean Strickland the following week at UFC 312 in Sydney. Most believe the next shot will go to the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, but beating Adesanya, arguably the defining fighter of the last few years, would put Imavov right behind, if not alongside, Chimaev in terms of the pecking order for a crack at the champion.
“I was very happy when they (offered) me that fight (against Adesanya),” Imavov said. “I knew fighting Israel Adesanya meant fighting for the belt after. That’s my goal since the first day. I was very happy.”
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When asked who he thinks will win in Sydney, Imavov chose his old foe Strickland. Imavov believes Strickland’s style makes it difficult to counter, and he’ll have made the correct adjustments to come out on top in the rematch.
One could say Imavov is pushing for Strickland to win so he can seek some revenge for his January 2023 loss to the former champion, but such a result could force a trilogy bout and delay Imavov’s own ascent.
That’s all too much to consider, however, when Imavov has the algorithmic puzzle that is Adesanya in front of him. “The Last Stylebender” finds himself in must-win territory after back-to-back losses landed him in his first non-title fight in about six years. Imavov acknowledges Adesanya’s vision, trickiness and speed, but he believes the high-level experience of the Nigerian-born New Zealander is just as much of a factor come February 1.
“I cannot wait for (the fight),” Imavov said. “I’m a real competitor in life, in everything. I can’t wait to measure myself against Israel and to prove what I’m worth.”
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Imavov has golden aspirations you’d expect from any top-level fighter, but he knows enough to not get ahead of himself. First comes the business of making the walk in Riyadh, and Imavov knows what he and fans should expect when he strides to the Octagon for the biggest fight of his life:
“(I) go to war,” he said.
UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs Imavov took place live from anb Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 1, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!