Nassourdine “The Sniper” Imavov Slays the Last Stylebender Israel Adesanya at UFC Saudi Arabia
Nassourdine “The Sniper” Imavov created his “I’m him” moment Saturday night in Saudi Arabia. Imavov has become only the second man behind Alex Pereira to knock out Israel Adesanya in MMA. At 4:30 of Round Two, ‘The Sniper’ uncorked an overhand right with horrible intentions. The monstrous right hand sent the former champion Adesanya from the center of the octagon to the side of the fence and finally to the canvas. Not taking a moment to take pictures of his work, Imavov closed the distance with a violent left hook, catching Adesanya as he tried to collect himself. Imavov took the former champions back and landed a few short shots to seal the deal and end the night.
Imavov’s Win Streak Climbs After UFC Saudi Arabia
Imavov threw his name into the title picture in a major way after UFC Saudi Arabia. Imavov, being Just 28 years of age, has a 15-4 record and has not lost a fight since January 14th, 2023. Ironically, the person to last beat Imavov is title challenger Sean Strickland, who has his eyes set on regaining gold at UFC 312. On February 8th, Sean Strickland is set to rematch Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight championship of the world. Outside of Strickland, Imavov has already beaten the likes of Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, and Roman Dolidze. Three of the top ten middleweights and also recent names are thrown around in the title picture. To add a brighter flower to his cap than the rest, he can say he is one of five losses in Adesanya’s 24-5 career.
UFC Saudi Arabia Night of Upsets
UFC Saudi Arabia was sure to leave some gamblers upset holding their tickets. A night where a +135 underdog in Imavov slays the -145 favorite Adesanya. Adesanya was not the only favorite on the card to taste the cold steel of defeat as a favorite, as Sharaputdin Magomedov [Shara Bullet], a -205 favorite, lost his 0 to Michael Page. Page vs. Magomedov was not only one of the most talked about fights on the card, but the card’s biggest upset of the night.
Watch Nassourdine Imavov’s full post-fight interview following his win:
Do you think Nassourdine Imavov deserves a title shot next? Should Israel Adesanya retire following his defeat? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured Image Credit via Embed from Getty Images
