Israel Adesanya finds himself in a difficult position in the middleweight division after suffering a shock knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250 held in Saudi Arabia.
The former two-time middleweight champion entered the match under huge pressure following consecutive defeats to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.
Despite being favoured to win, Adesanya failed to end his losing streak, as Imavov, a French fighter with Dagestani roots, achieved the most significant career victory with a stunning knockout in the second round.
Adesanya started the match light on his feet, using a series of heavy low kicks to target Imavov’s lead leg. Nevertheless, the resolute Imavov pressed forward relentlessly, closing the gap and landing a shovel hook that jolted Adesanya’s head backwards.
With just over a minute remaining in the round, Adesanya took a hard right hand but managed to stay on his feet. Unfortunately for the former champion, he couldn’t recover quickly enough for the resumption. Moments later, Imavov delivered another mighty right hand, sending Adesanya crashing to the mat.
Imavov quickly followed up with a massive left uppercut and a flurry of ground-and-pound strikes. Referee Marc Goddard intervened, stopping the contest and announcing Imavov as the winner, leaving the audience at the AnB Arena stunned by the unexpected conclusion.
After the crushing second-round knockout defeat to Imavov, fans of the UFC are urging Israel Adesanya to consider retiring from the sport. This loss raises uncertainty regarding the future of MMA’s 35-year-old former middleweight champion.
Adesanya’s defeat against Imavov marks the continuation of the longest losing streak in his combat sports career.
