Adeana says he is putting pressure on himself and Imavov as the countdown begins to Saturday bout
The former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will be looking to get back to winning ways Saturday evening when he faces Nassourdine Imavov in Saudi Arabia following back-to-back losses against Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis.
'The Last Stylebender' - a former two-time middleweight champion is desperate to get back in the win column. The Kiwi star took a year-long break following his shock defeat to Sean Strickland back in 2023.
The 34-year-old returned to the Octagon back in August but was submitted by Dricus du Plessis in the fourth round of the title fight at UFC 305 in Perth.
As for Imavov, the 29-year-old has become a real start in the 185lb division and is currently riding a three-fight winning streak following victories over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier and Brendan Allen.
However, he faces a real step up in competition and a win over Adesanya will no doubt put him in the mix for a title shot.
The event is scheduled to take place at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and is set to start at 2 pm Lagos time.
In the main event, Nassourdine Imavov will make the walk to the cage first at around 6 pm with Adesanya set to follow immediately after. The two stars will then touch gloves just after 6:20 pm before the first bell sounds.
Adesanya said ahead of the bout, “The pressures on him " (Imamov). But again, I always put pressure on myself when I get there because I’m Israel Adesanya. There’s always that pressure, but he will have to be the one rising to the occasion – if he has it in him. I have it in me to stop him.”
Nassourdine Imavov said “It’s a huge fight (against Adesanya). I was so happy when they announced the fight. It’s the fight I have been looking for since I moved to the UFC. Israel Adesanya is a legend and I am so happy to fight against him.”
