Imavov Aims for Title Shot with Adesanya Win in Riyadh
Nassourdine Imavov entered Riyadh on February 1, 2025, with a chance to turn a strong run into a clear claim for the middleweight title picture. His main event against former champion Israel Adesanya had been billed as a test of a rising contender against one of the division’s defining strikers. Imavov was ranked fifth before the bout and had won three straight. The preview’s prediction that a win could put him near a title shot proved prescient, but the result was more emphatic than a close decision: Imavov stopped Adesanya in the second round.
Video: Imavov discusses what he expected from Adesanya before the Riyadh main event. The interview is pre-fight context, not footage of the knockout. Open the original YouTube video.
The right kind of momentum
The three-fight streak dated to 2024, when Imavov beat Roman Dolidze by majority decision in February, stopped Jared Cannonier in June, and outpointed Brendan Allen by unanimous decision in September. Those wins were against established middleweights and gave the French-based contender a credible run through the division. His bout with Curtis ended as a no contest after an accidental clash of heads, and Gastelum and Brunson were not victories on his record.
Adesanya presented a different style and a much larger résumé. A former two-time middleweight champion, he had controlled the division with precise counterstriking, feints and movement. Imavov’s route depended on pressure, composure and making exchanges difficult to read. Before the fight, Imavov said he expected an alert and motivated opponent; that concern mattered because Adesanya’s timing can punish a rushed entry. The matchup was not simply prospect versus legend: it was a tactical contest between a long-reigning former champion looking to regain ground and a contender trying to prove he could handle the sport’s biggest stages.
A second-round finish changes the picture
The opening round was measured, with both men probing and grappling exchanges interrupting the striking. Early in round two, Imavov landed a right hand that dropped Adesanya, then followed with punches to end the main event at 0:30 of the round. The official result lists a knockout; the judges’ scorecard page records the finish, and the event recap describes the sequence. It was the biggest win of Imavov’s career to that point and his fourth consecutive victory.
That result made him a serious contender, but it did not guarantee that the next booking would be for a championship. The 185-pound division had several established names in the queue, and title opportunities depend on the champion’s schedule as well as contender results. Imavov later strengthened his case by defeating Caio Borralho by unanimous decision in Paris in September 2025. That follow-up confirmed that the Adesanya finish was part of a broader run, not an isolated upset.
A claim backed by performance
Imavov defeated a former champion in a high-profile main event and then continued winning against ranked opposition. His 2024 wins over Dolidze, Cannonier and Allen strengthened his position, while a title shot remained dependent on matchmaking. The knockout gave his case a powerful new foundation.
Sources
Tags: MMA
