Nassourdine Imavov has added another win to his record with an impressive performance at UFC Vegas 85 against Roman Dolidze. The clash between the two middleweights was marked by a large significant strike differential in favor of Imavov and Dolidze attempting and failing to impose his grappling heavy game.

However, at the end of the 5 rounds, it was Imavov who walked away with the majority decision win. Despite getting a point-taken away for a kick that was landed while Dolidze’s hand was still on the canvas, Imavov had done enough in the judges eyes to get the victory. And in his post-fight interview he  put a former UFC middleweight champion on notice!

Sean Strickland called out at UFC Vegas 85

The history between Imavov and Sean Strickland traces back to their encounter at UFC Vegas 67 in 2023. Originally set to face Kelvin Gastelum, Imavov found himself in the Octagon with Strickland due to Gastelum’s injury-induced withdrawal.

Due to the opponent’s replacement, the fight was contested at light-heavyweight. Strickland emerged victorious via unanimous decision in a fight that went back and forth for five rounds, setting the stage for his subsequent middleweight title win that came against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293.

And now, with a win against Dolidze putting him higher in the middleweight rankings, Imavov has called out the former champion in his post-fight interview. He stated, “Regarding my performance and my next fight, I want to fight against Sean Strickland.”

The fight was also marked by Imavov getting involved in a heated verbal exchange with Dolidze’s corner that included Chris Curtis, another UFC middleweight and friend of Sean Strickland!

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And while that may add another dimension to the potential rematch, Imavov recently revealed why he still wants to face Strickland despite him no longer holding a UFC title!

Imavov wants to face Strickland regardless of his ‘champion’ status

Nassourdine Imavov is not letting go of his desire for a rematch against Sean Strickland! In a recent interview with CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri, Imavov expressed satisfaction with Strickland winning the middleweight title from Adesanya, despite later losing it to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297.

He revealed, “I was very happy he took the belt, because my plan from the beginning was to re-fight him and even though he doesn’t have the belt anymore, I still want to fight him regarding of his ranking.”

He emphasized that Strickland, despite not holding the belt anymore, still remains a formidable opponent for anyone who steps into the cage against him. And Imavov also stated that he aims to silence Strickland’s notorious trash talk and demonstrate his capabilities in the Octagon!

The desire for redemption and the chance to face Strickland again, highlight Imavov’s mentality and sets the stage for an intense rematch in the UFC middleweight division with high stakes for both men!

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