February 01, (THEWILL) – In a stunning upset at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nassourdine Imavov defeated former middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, via technical knockout just 30 seconds into the second round during Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night main event.
The initial round bore testimony to equal skills from both competitors, with Imavov landing a significant shovel uppercut that affected Adesanya’s positioning. The decisive moment arrived early in round two when Imavov connected with an overhand right, followed by a left hook and ground strikes, prompting the referee to stop the contest.
“Now the real desire for me is to fight for the belt,” Imavov stated post-fight, indicating his interest in challenging the winner of next Sunday’s UFC 312 championship bout between Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland in Sydney. The victory marks Imavov’s fourth consecutive win, potentially positioning him for a title opportunity.
In the co-main event, Michael Page earned a unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Sharaputdin Magomedov, with judges scoring the contest 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Page acknowledged his opponent’s abilities, stating: “Shara Bullet is an amazing MMA fighter, regardless of this result he is gonna go on and do amazing things.”
The main card also featured three additional unanimous decision victories: Sergei Pavlovich prevailed over Jairzinho Rozenstruik in heavyweight action, Vinicius Oliveira outpointed Said Nurmagomedov in a bantamweight contest, and Fares Ziam emerged victorious against Mike Davis in lightweight competition.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
