The UFC’s first event in Saudi Arabia for 2025 was nothing short of a spectacle, delivering an action-packed night at the ANB Arena with UFC Fight Night 250. The card was stacked with high-stakes matchups, but it was the main event that stole the show—an electrifying showdown between former champion Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov. In a stunning upset, the French resident handed Izzy his third consecutive defeat, securing a knockout victory in the second round.

With this emphatic win, the 29-year-old Nassourdine Imavov has cemented his status as a top contender, marking a potential shift in the middleweight division. For Israel Adesanya, this bout was meant to be a road to redemption following back-to-back losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. However, with yet another setback, the dream of reclaiming UFC gold seems further out of reach. But for the Dagestani prospect, this fight was more than just another victory—it was a defining moment in his career.

The French contender took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay his respects to the former two-time champion, writing: “Nothing but respect! Proud to have shared the octagon with such a legend.” Once a dominant force in the UFC, Israel Adesanya transitioned from a decorated kickboxing career to making his mark in MMA. His rise was meteoric, but last night’s fight was his first non-title, non-PPV bout since 2019—another sign of his changing fortunes in the sport.

Meanwhile, Nassourdine Imavov’s celebration didn’t stop there. He also expressed gratitude to his countrymen—UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov and lightweight champion

Islam Makhachev—for their support, responding with emojis: “🙏🏻🤲” “

🫡🤲”. Though Imavov traces his roots back to Dagestan, his path to success was forged elsewhere. At the age of nine, he moved with his family to Salon-de-Provence, France, where he first discovered his passion for boxing.

Determined to take his combat sports career to the next level, he and his older brother, Daguir, later relocated to Paris. There, under the guidance of Fernand Lopez at the renowned MMA Factory, they sharpened their skills and laid the foundation for future success. Now, after years of relentless dedication, Imavov’s hard work is finally paying off. But his journey is far from over—he has his sights set on one ultimate goal. What is it? Let’s find out.

Nassourdine Imavov eyes the title after dominating Israel Adesanya at UFC Saudi Arabia

The fate of the 185-pound title will be determined next week at UFC 312, just a week away, when reigning middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis faces former champion Sean Strickland once again in Australia. However, unbeknownst to them, the winner of that matchup is already targeted by French-Dagestani prospect Nassourdine Imavov as the next challenger.

After his stunning knockout victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC Saudi Arabia last night, Nassourdine Imavov is now poised to challenge for the middleweight title. Following his dominant performance, in which he knocked Adesanya out cold within two rounds at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, the French sensation shared his title aspirations with Paul Felder inside the octagon.

“I feel so good, I said it all week long that I was in perfect shape, and I proved it tonight,” Imavov said. “I proved that I was the better striker.” Nassourdine Imavov didn’t hesitate to make his ultimate goal clear—the title belt. “For me, it’s going to be fighting for the belt,” he stated. “I think there’s no doubt that I am worthy of the belt. Four victories in one year, two top-five, two top-10 wins, two finishes—the result speaks for itself.”

What do you think about yesterday’s headline event at UFC Saudi Arabia, Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov? After suffering three straight losses and four defeats in his last five Octagon appearances, can ‘Izzy’ make a comeback? Share your thoughts below.