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 title within the identify image within the run-up to upcoming year’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 means of touchdown a lightning-fast precision punch along with his proper hand to sign the start of the top of the struggle early in the second one around.
Preventing in a non-title struggle for the primary moment since February 2019, Adesanya used to be making an attempt to kick-start every other run for the belt that he managed for a number of years ahead of shedding 3 of his extreme 4 makes an attempt to be topped champion.
He used to be dethroned by means of Brazil’s Alex Pereira in November 2022, however he gained the rematch ahead of shedding the identify once more on issues to American Strickland and struggling a submission defeat by means of Du Plessis of South Africa in his extreme day out in August 2024.
Nicknamed “Stylebender”, Adesanya began smartly, touchdown large kicks to the frame and the usage of feints to attract out his 30-year-old French opponent, who got here into the struggle following a run of 3 wins from 3 in 2024.
On the other hand, the stream grew to become sharply and the writing used to be at the wall for the Nigerian-born Untouched 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 a probability to recuperate however as Imavov persisted to rainfall unwell blows, the referee waved off the struggle, make happen a knockout win for Imavov.
“I said it all week long that I was in perfect shape,” Imavov mentioned thru an interpreter. “I proved it tonight that I was the better striker. Now the real bonus for me is going to be to fight for the belt.”
Within the co-main match, England’s Michael “Venom” Web page scored a unanimous resolution win over Shara Magomedov, handing the Russian middleweight the primary lack of his skilled MMA profession in a irritating, tactical struggle all the way through which Web page worn his unpredictable putting to out-point his opponent.
