UFC Fight Night: Israel Adesanya vs Nassourdine Imavov Preview
Israel Adesanya returns for his first fight since his championship loss against Dricus Du Plessis in August 2024. Facing him on the other side of the octagon cage will be Russian born Frenchman, Nassourdine Imavov.
Everything you need to know ahead of this evenings UFC Fight Night live from Saudi Arabia can be found below.
Main Event
‘Izzy’, widely applauded for his fight activity since joining the UFC in 2018 has taken the longest break of his career citing that he wanted to “look after” and “heal his body”.
Imavov, who joined the company in 2020, got off to a rocky start in his UFC career. A majority decision loss to Phil Hawes in his second fight for the promotion wouldn't have been in the 28 year olds plans. However, since the loss in early 2021 ‘The Sniper’ has amassed a 5-1 streak in the promotion, with the only loss coming to former champion Sean Strickland.
Adesanya's game plan is always clear before his fights; evading any danger is priority, look for openings to counter while on the inside, then kick from range.
Both fighters come from a kickboxing based background, so a counter striking chess match while on the feet could be on the cards. However, Imavov comes from Dagestan, a region in Russia famously known for its ‘sambo’ wrestling and the birthplace of UFC Champions, Khabib Nurmagamedov and Islam Makhachev, lauded for their suffocating wrestling style.
Therefore, time can only tell what style of fight we receive.
Co-Main
The co main event for the card is another potential striking masterclass, between Sharaputdin ‘Bullet’ Magomedov and Michael ‘Venom’ Page (MVP). Both fighters made their UFC debuts within the last year or so after extensive MMA careers in other organisations.
Highly touted pre UFC, Shara Bullet and MVP have lived up to expectations thus far and have been able to translate well into the welterweight division.
Unable to fight in the States due to having one eye, Shara Bullet is going into his fifth fight for the promotion. Holding an 80% knockout rate over his 15 fight career, the Russian is one of the most dangerous fighters on the feet in the division.
However, in the other corner will be a veteran. 37 year old Page, who holds a fight record of 22-3 is famed for multiple highlight reel knockouts throughout his career.
After winning his debut in March 2024, he most recently lost to Ian Garry in June at UFC 303. A loss that has aged well considering Garry's recent activity, Page will look to build on his already large stardom by defeating the up and coming Russian.
Ones To Watch
Moving further down the card, other fights to catch are;
Heavyweight fight, Sergei Pavlovich vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik
A fight between two big hitters who rank high in the division. A knockout is almost certain.
Bantamweight fight, Said Nurmagomedov vs Vinicius Oliveira
Nurmagomedov returns after a long layoff to face hot prospect Oliveira. A classic gatekeeper vs prospect fight to test what each other are made of. A must watch.
Lightweight fight, Fares Ziam vs Mike Davis
I believe that Ziam is one of the biggest prospects coming out of Europe. The Frenchman hasn’t had the easiest start to his UFC career but now riding a four fight win streak, the 27 year old is looking to break into the top 15.
Women's Flyweight fight, Jasmin Jasudavicius vs Mayra Bueno Silva
Former Bantamweight title challenger Silva drops down to 125lbs after a turbulent last 12 months. Jasudavicius is a dynamic striker with serious submission skills. A fight that's really tough to call.