Sean Strickland secured the win over Nassourdine Imavov in the first UFC main event of 2023 at UFC Vegas 67. The middleweights fought at a light heavyweight limit due to the last-minute changes. Imavov vs. Strickland came together after Kelvin Gastelum pulled out of the initially scheduled bout due to an injury.
However, Strickland did not show any signs of a lack of a training camp as he pressed on forward and met his opponent in the middle of the cage. His efforts earned him a unanimous decision victory after a close competitive contest.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
31-year-old Sean Strickland came into the fight after his loss against Jared Cannonier in the last event of 2022. He was also on a two-fight skid, losing to current divisional champion Alex Pereira as well.
Nassourdine Imavov, on the other hand, was riding the confidence of a three-fight win streak with a 4-1 record in the UFC.
Fans react to Sean Strickland’s win at UFC Vegas 67
Strickland vs. Imavov at UFC Vegas 67 was an important fight for the division. The #7 ranked Strickland and #12 ranked Imavov duked it out to climb the ladder in one of the most exciting divisions in the UFC at the moment.
With his boxing and pressure, Strickland wore out his opponent and managed to get the judges’ nod. Fans took to social media to share their reactions to the first main event of 2023.
"UFC, you guys paid me a lot of fucking money to take this fight on short notice, I didn't want it, but you paid me." – Sean Strickland says he'd fight Francis Ngannou if they wanted him to. #UFCVegas67
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) January 15, 2023
Strickland might not be the most exciting fighter to watch but his cardio is ridiculous and his awkward style proved difficult for Imavov to adjust to. Good for him. Respect to both fighters for taking the short-notice risk there.
— MS (@UFC_Obsessed) January 15, 2023
Sean Strickland took a main event on 1 week's notice and pushed the pace for 25 minutes.
— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) January 15, 2023
Them boys scrapped!! Great fight! #UFCVegas67
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) January 15, 2023
Great fight, Strickland actually went for it and even hurt Imavov a few times.
Can you imagine if Strickland actually prepared for the fight? #UFCVegas67
— Weasle (@ThaWeasle) January 15, 2023
Nothing but respect after 25 hard fought minutes. What a scrap 👏 #UFCVegas65 pic.twitter.com/Il9ottovcn
— UFC (@ufc) January 15, 2023
Pretty crazy push in the final minute of the round, but it's hard to see any realistic scenario where Imavov wins on the cards.
— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) January 15, 2023
How did you score that fight? And how do you rate that main event to kick off 2023? Let us know in the comments below.
