In a stunning turn of events, France’s Nassourdine Imavov delivered the biggest victory of his career by knocking out former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in the second round of their UFC Saudi Arabia main event. Competing in a non-title bout for the first time since 2019, the Nigerian-born New Zealand mixed martial artist was seeking to re-establish himself as a contender after losing three of his last four fights. However, Imavov, largely overlooked in the pre-fight build-up, seized his opportunity emphatically.
The first round saw Adesanya maintain distance while defending an early takedown attempt from Imavov. The former champion looked composed, landing clean strikes as the Frenchman tried to close the gap. In the second round, Adesanya stepped up the pressure but suffered an accidental eye poke. Despite being offered time to recover, he opted to continue immediately. Imavov capitalized moments later, connecting with a powerful overhand right that sent Adesanya crashing to the canvas. Referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight at 2:45 of the round as Adesanya attempted to protest.
“I knew I had to be patient,” Imavov said. “Adesanya is one of the best in the world, but I saw my chance and took it.” The win pushes Imavov into title contention, with UFC President Dana White acknowledging the significance of the victory. “He’s been knocking on the door for a while,” White said. “This was a huge statement.”
Adesanya, who had held the middleweight belt across two reigns, took to social media after the defeat. “I’m not done. I’ll be back,” he wrote. With Adesanya’s dominance in the division waning and new challengers emerging, the battle for the middleweight championship has become increasingly competitive
