This Saturday in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event, Nassourdine Imavov scored the biggest win of his career thus far when he knocked Israel Adesanya out in the second round.
Israel Adesanya suffered a devastating loss at UFC 305 this past August when he fought Dricus Du Plessis for the 185lb title.
Nassourdine Imavov on the other hand earned himself a shot against the former champion after scoring three wins in a row.
Just a day out from their fight, Adesanya worried fans with a cryptic post online where he referenced potentially missing weight but fortunately for the fans and Imavov, he stepped on the scale at 185lb.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to Adesanya’s shock UFC Saudi Arabia loss
Now 35 years old and coming off the back of two losses, this was a hugely important fight for ‘The Last Stylebender’ who was hoping to stay in the title picture at middleweight.
Round one began as the majority of fans expected as both fighters looked to feel each other out and gauge their ranges before letting their combinations flow.
Despite that, in round two, ‘The Russian Sniper’ showcased why he is one of the most talented fighters in the division when he backed Adesanya up against the cage and landed a huge right hand.
The former middleweight champion dropped to his knees and Imavov followed up with a huge shovel uppercut whilst the Nigerian had his back to the cage which subsequently dropped him to his stomach.
Imavov quickly followed up with some ground-and-pound whilst Adesanya looked to recover but Marc Goddard stepped in and called the fight as Adesanya seemed to briefly complain.
This marked just the second time Adesanya has suffered a KO during his MMA career with the first coming at the hands of longtime rival, Alex Pereira.
“Just wow, Nassourdine Imavov. My congratulations. What a performance,” Khabib Nurmagomedov reacted on X.
What’s next for Nassourdine Imavov following win over Adesanya?
Following his huge win, Imavov called for a title shot against the winner of Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland at UFC 312.
Despite the 28-year-old hoping he has done enough to earn a middleweight title shot, Khamzat Chimaev is likely facing the winner of Du Plessis vs Strickland, meaning the Frenchman will have to wait.
Imavov will likely take Adesanya’s spot at number two in the division and could potentially wait for the next title shot following ‘Borz’.