Israel Adesanya isn’t lacking in any motivation ahead of his first UFC non-title fight appearance in years. Adesanya looks to snap a two-fight losing skid in the UFC Saudi Arabia headliner at ANB Arena in Riyadh. He meets the streaking Nassourdine Imavov in the main event. However, busy Izzy does think even in losses, he made the middleweight division quite interesting.
Subsequently, that’s as true as it gets. Israel Adesanya went on a historic 5-0 title defense train in his first reign. Whether choreographed dances, anime stances, or his hyperintelligent spatial management, the Kiwi-Nigerian kept it going. His rivalry with kickboxer Alex Pereira also birthed a titular vengeance and a shift in division like none. Adesanya now gets a “boring” vibe from his middleweight division.
It’s always good to mix things up, but again, this is just fighting, …It’ll be pretty boring in the lead up to this fight for the fans that like that kind of stuff, but the fight’s gonna be very exciting…That’s the sauce in this one.
Israel Adesanya to MMAJunkie’s Mike Bohn
The fight is the kick-off to a busy month for the middleweight division of the UFC. Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 PPV event goes live for the title soon at Qudos Bank Arena. There’s the explosive Khamzat Chimaev on the wait for long.
Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues, Michael Page vs. Shara Magomedov, and Anthony Hernandez vs. Brendan Allen are big shakeups as well. The division Adesanya once ruled could look very different.
“To be honest, 185 feels boring without me.”
Israel Adesanya aims to kick off a MASSIVE month for middleweight in style at #UFCSaudiArabia 💥
(via @MikeBohn) pic.twitter.com/p6rF6zkCXy
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 24, 2025
Adesanya, 35, dropped the 185-pound strap to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September 2023. “The Last Stylebender” failed to snag it back against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 PPV. However, it was a gritty war; he lost to a submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 4, 3:38. The fighter isn’t lacking in matter or mettle; he proved that over and over.
Nassourdine Imavov keeps a lower profile than his usual lineup of title rivals. But he still thinks he can get the middleweight charm back on track at UFC Fight Night 250. Imavov has his own aspirations on this.
Nassourdine Imavov wants to grab Khamzat Chimaev’s shot with UFC Saudi Arabia win
The Chechen “Borz” has been a reckoning in the UFC middleweight division. Chimaev has been awaiting his title shot since his HOF-worthy scramble vs. Gilbert Burns. He again faced Kamaru Usman with the same promise. Chimaev recently blew out former 185-pound champ Robert Whittaker and is again more than just a top contender for the gold. It’s something that even has Adesanya’s attention.
UFC middleweight Nassourdine Imavov wants top shot after UFC Fight Night 250 (Source: X)However, Nassourdine Imavov hopes to leapfrog the No. 1 contender spot after UFC Saudi Arabia. Imavov (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) takes on Israel Adesanya in short order. During UFC 311 Post-fight conference interviews, CEO Dana White said Chimaev might get the next crack. However, if he can add Izzy to his resume, Imavov wants to get that shot.
Of course, depending on the performance, I can get the next title shot, …t can be Khamzat. The fact that I went for four fights in one year, two top five, two top 10, that’s something very significant – ’m never turning down any fights, and that’s something the UFC likes a lot. So we’ll see what happens. For now, I’m focusing on my next fight
Nassourdine Imavov through an interpreter to MMAJunkie’s Mike Bohn
Imavov’s most recent loss came in a light heavyweight fight night headliner against Strickland in January 2023. If “Tarzan” captures his gold back, he’s ready to go at it again. But if Imavov can pick up his fourth win since 2024 against a former five-time defending name like Adesanya, he makes the case even more.
Stay Updated!
Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.
