Imavov stuns Adesanya with KO in UFC Saudi Arabia main event

Nassourdine Imavov earned the biggest win of his career Saturday, knocking out former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event.

The stoppage came 30 seconds into the second round in Riyadh.

Imavov dropped Adesanya with an overhand right and then flattened him with a vicious uppercut on the ground. Imavov landed a few more punches before referee Marc Goddard waved off the fight.

"I feel so good," Imavov said in his postfight interview through an interpreter. "I said all week long that I was in perfect shape. I proved it tonight. I proved that I was the better striker. Now the real bonus for me is gonna be to fight for the belt."

Imavov, who has won four in a row, could indeed be in line for a title shot after taking out one of the most decorated fighters in middleweight history. Adesanya was ranked No. 2 and Imavov No. 5 going in. Imavov argued he should challenge the winner of the UFC 312 rematch between middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former champ Sean Strickland, which takes place next weekend in Sydney, Australia.

"I think there is no doubt I'm worth the belt," Imavov said. "Four victories in one year, two top five, two top 10, two finishes. The record speaks for itself."

However, UFC CEO Dana White said last month Khamzat Chimaev would "probably" fight the Du Plessis-Strickland winner. Chimaev is undefeated and coming off a submission win over former champ Robert Whittaker last October.

Adesanya looked good in the fight with Imavov before succumbing to the second-round knockout. He won the first round on all three judges' scorecards. Adesanya controlled the pace and range of the fight early on, peppering Imavov with kicks to the leg and body and defending multiple takedown attempts. Imavov landed an uppercut that got Adesanya's attention, but Adesanya was the busier fighter.

In the second round, Imavov did not let Adesanya get back into his groove. He pushed forward and then cracked the former champion with an explosive right hand to set up the finish.

Imavov is riding a five-fight unbeaten streak and hasn't lost since falling to Strickland by unanimous decision in January 2023. The 28-year-old, who was born in Russia but now resides in France, lifted his Octagon record to 8-2 (1 NC).

Adesanya has lost three in a row for the first time in his career, including his extensive kickboxing run, and is 1-4 in his past five appearances. "The Last Stylebender" dropped the 185-pound title to Strickland in September 2023 and then suffered a submission loss to Du Plessis in a bid to regain the belt last August.

Adesanya was middleweight champion on two occasions, from 2019-22 and then again in 2023. The 35-year-old Nigerian-born New Zealander recorded five successful title defenses, the second most in division history. His most recent victory was a knockout of current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in April 2023 to become a two-time champ.