Nassourdine Imavov shocked the combat world earlier today (Sat., Feb. 1, 2025) at UFC Saudi Arabia live on ESPN+ from inside anb Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, putting a stop to former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya with a second-round TKO (punches).
Adesanya, who was competing in his first non-title fight since 2019, came into Saturday’s main event the betting favorite to walk away with the victory. The former champion was coming off back-to-back losses to Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland and needed to fend off Imavov if he was going to remain in the title mix for 2025. It was up to Imavov to rise to the occasion and cash in against the middleweight great.
Unfortunately for “Last Stylebender,” Imavov would not be denied his entry into the top contenders at 185 pounds. After a back-and-forth first round that saw Adesanya defend multiple takedowns along the cage, Imavov clocked the former champion with a blistering right hand. It connected flush and knocked Adesanya to one knee along the cage. Imavov came flying in with a follow-up uppercut that really hurt Adesanya. A few more powerful shots on the ground and the referee was forced to step in.
Check out the video highlights below:
Let’s go Izzy #UFCSaudiArabia pic.twitter.com/CzIqCTH2LU
— Alex “Poatan” Pereira (@AlexPereiraUFC) February 1, 2025
IMAVOV JUST KNOCKED OUT ADESANYA #UFCSAUDIARABIA pic.twitter.com/JyFbvGzzvO
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 1, 2025
NASSOURDINE IMAVOV GETS THE BIGGEST KO OF HIS CAREER pic.twitter.com/5ncZW5qPdG
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) February 1, 2025
Imavov, 29, is now riding a four-fight win streak as he enters middleweight title contention to begin 2025. Undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev will get the first crack at the winner of du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 going down next weekend at UFC 312, but Imavov could get the next shot after that.
For complete UFC Saudi Arabia results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
This news first appeared on MMA Mania. Read the original article.
