Israel Adesanya is ready to make his UFC return after his unfortunate loss against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305. This time, Izzy will take on rising middleweight Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Fight Night 250. The fight will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is definitely a different experience for the former champion.
Israel Adesanya had one of the most dominant reigns as the UFC middleweight champion. For the first time since 2019, Israel Adesanya won’t be fighting in a title fight. On top of that, his fight against Imavov is not a pay-per-view event but that doesn’t concern the ‘Last Stylebender.’
It’s a Saudi Arabia fight card, first of all… and there’s a crowd, so it’s not like f***ing Apex or something.
Israel Adesanya via his YouTube channel
Adesanya won the middleweight championship by defeating Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 and has defended the title five times. During his time, he had some incredible pay-per-view events but it seems like the times have changed. However, as Izzy mentioned, Fight Nights in Saudi Arabia would be way different than UFC Apex.
⚡️ Israel Adesanya reacts to fighting on Fight Night for the first time since 2017:
“It’s a Saudi Arabia fight card, first of all… and there’s a crowd, so it’s not like f*cking Apex or something.”🤣
🎥 @stylebender ▫️ pic.twitter.com/94mWxu4jCD
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 21, 2024
Israel Adesanya’s recent performances have been inconsistent, with losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. Fans are skeptical about his comeback after these setbacks. However, Izzy has proven his ability to rebound before. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him rise again and reclaim his glory.
Israel Adesanya talks about his upcoming opponent
The UFC middleweight division has seen major changes, with three champions crowned in just two years. This rapid turnover has created fierce competition among top contenders eager to secure their shot at the prestigious title. Irrespective of his championship status, Israel Adesanya is still the #2 fighter in the rankings.
Israel Adesanya talks about his fighting options (via Imago/X)Adesanya wasn’t that bothered by his title loss and wanted to stay as active as possible. He is one of the biggest draws on the UFC roster and Saudi Arabia fight night looks like a great event. In a recent interview, the fighter talked about getting Nassourdine Imavov as his next opponent.
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They just offered it to me and I was like ‘yeah sure’. That was the only name I got offered but Caio Borralho, he was looking for a fight. If they offered him it would have been sweet.
Israel Adesanya via his YouTube channel
Israel Adesanya says Nassourdine Imavov was the only opponent offered to him by the UFC
He also says he’d be down to fight Caio Borralho if he was offered by the UFC 👀
🎥 @stylebender #UFCSaudiArabia #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/FLyvOnFPPP
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 21, 2024
Nassourdine Imavov is #5 in the middleweight rankings and is currently on a three-fight win streak. The Frenchman wanted to fight Sean Strickland but Adesanya isn’t a bad choice at all. It will be interesting to see how the young blood fights against a legend like Adesanya.
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