Nassourdine Imavov stakes title-fight declare with defeat of former UFC champion Israel Adesanya in Saudi Arabia.
Nassourdine Imavov scored a sensational second-round knockout of former UFC champ Israel Adesanya to place his identify within the title image within the run-up to subsequent week’s showdown between champion Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland.
The 30-year-old Frenchman lived as much as his nickname of “The Sniper” by touchdown a lightning-fast precision punch together with his proper hand to sign the start of the tip of the struggle early within the second spherical.
Combating in a non-title struggle for the primary time since February 2019, Adesanya was making an attempt to kick-start one other run for the belt that he managed for a number of years earlier than dropping three of his final 4 makes an attempt to be topped champion.
He was dethroned by Brazil’s Alex Pereira in November 2022, however he received the rematch earlier than dropping the title once more on factors to American Strickland and struggling a submission defeat by Du Plessis of South Africa in his final outing in August 2024.
Nicknamed “Stylebender”, Adesanya began effectively, touchdown heavy kicks to the physique and utilizing feints to attract out his 30-year-old French opponent, who got here into the struggle following a run of three wins from three in 2024.
Nonetheless, the tide turned sharply and the writing was on the wall for the Nigerian-born New Zealander when Imavov landed that thunderous overhand proper on his jaw, following it up with a vicious left uppercut as his opponent stumbled to the canvas.
Referee Marc Goddard gave Adesanya an opportunity to get well however as Imavov continued to rain down blows, the referee waved off the struggle, leading to a knockout win for Imavov.
“I mentioned all of it week lengthy that I used to be in excellent form,” Imavov mentioned via an interpreter. “I proved it tonight that I used to be the higher striker. Now the actual bonus for me goes to be to struggle for the belt.”
Within the co-main occasion, England’s Michael “Venom” Web page scored a unanimous choice win over Shara Magomedov, handing the Russian middleweight the primary lack of his skilled MMA profession in a tense, tactical battle throughout which Web page used his unpredictable placing to out-point his opponent.
