Israel Adesanya’s struggles continued on Saturday night as he suffered his third consecutive loss, falling to Nassourdine Imavov via second-round TKO in the main event of UFC Fight Night 250 in Saudi Arabia. The former middleweight champion was looking to bounce back from back-to-back defeats at the hands of Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis, but Imavov had other plans.
Adesanya had previously regained the UFC middleweight strap by knocking out Alex Pereira in April 2023, but his recent skid has raised questions about his future in the sport. The loss to Imavov was particularly devastating, with the Frenchman catching Adesanya with a right hand to the chin and following up with a strong left to his chin after Adesanya crashed into the fence.
Imavov’s victory marked the biggest win of his career, and he is now eyeing a shot at the UFC middleweight title. “Next is the belt,” Imavov said in a post-fight interview. “I proved I was a better striker, and now I’m ready for the belt”.
Adesanya, on the other hand, is left to ponder his next move. The 35-year-old former champion took nearly a year off to regroup in 2024 after losing his belt, but his return to the octagon has been met with consecutive losses. Despite his recent struggles, UFC CEO Dana White remains optimistic about Adesanya’s prospects, praising his performance in the opening round against Imavov.
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