UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Imavov Preview and Predictions

It is the first overseas fight card of the year, and it is a matinee affair for viewers in the United States. From Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, former middleweight champion Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya will be the last man to make the walk to the Octagon, as he looks to win a fight for the first time since 2023. He has lost two straight, dropping his title via unanimous decision to Sean Strickland and then being submitted by Dricus du Plessis in a bid to regain that title. This weekend, he will meet rising French contender Nassourdine Imavov.

Imavov has won three fights in a row and is unbeaten in his last four. His most recent loss came against the aforementioned Strickland, and he will be keeping an eye on the upcoming title rematch between Strickland and du Plessis in hopes of possibly getting a rematch of his own with gold on the line.

In the co-main event, Shara “Bullet” Magomedov will welcome Michael “Venom” Page to the middleweight division as the pair of strikers face off at 185 pounds. The pair are both renowned on their feet, but with very different styles. Page will try to implement his point-fighting style against the more Muay-Thai-oriented Magomedov. Surely to be entertaining, Page will look to hand Magomedov the first loss of his professional career.

UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Imavov airs live in its entirety on ESPN+ starting at 9 a.m. ET. Combat Press writers Andrew Sumian and Matt Petela preview the action in this week’s Toe-toe-Toe.

Israel Adesanya has never lost a non-title fight; can Nassourdine Imavov be the first man to defeat The Last Stylebender without a championship on the line?

Sumian: It is certainly hard to believe that Israel Adesanya is 1-3 in his last four UFC appearances. The former longtime middleweight champion has officially entered the back half of his career, and the MMA community should appreciate his activity for as long as we have him. In recent videos of Adesanya, he truly seems happy and content to be a competitor and enjoy his finals years as one of the best to ever do it. His opponent, Nassourdine Imavov, is in the exact opposite position. Despite a few setbacks throughout his UFC tenure, the fifth-ranked Imavov has quietly established himself as a top-ranked contender and is currently riding a three-fight winning streak. A win over Adesanya will undeniably earn him a shot at the title at some point in the next 12-16 months.

There is nothing about Imavov that particularly stands out. He is a very good fighter and is capable of beating some of the better middleweights when he is on-point. However, defeating Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier and Brendan Allen does not necessarily scream title challenger, if you ask me. He is very good at defeating quality opponents in a less-than-impressive fashion, which makes him good enough to move up the rankings, but hard for anyone besides hardcore MMA fans to really pay attention. If Imavov can get past Adesanya, and do so in impressive fashion, it could absolutely launch him into a new realm of popularity.

What is there left to say about Israel Adesanya? The former champion has given us so many memorable moments in the Octagon and still has what it takes to remain a top-tier middleweight. However, I believe his days of being a champion are certainly over. The division’s elite are tough to beat, and he has lost to both Strickland and du Plessis in convincing fashion. I truly believe that Adesanya is content with sticking around to take out up-and-coming contenders, and perhaps even setting himself up for a couple of legacy fights. Adesanya is most dangerous when he is confident and having fun, which has not always been the case in big fights. A win over Imavov really does nothing for the former champion, but it will certainly remind the MMA world that he is still a force to be reckoned with.

It would be great for the middleweight division to get a new potential title challenger in Imavov. However, that is not going to happen on Saturday. Adesanya is better than Imavov in every way and will be able to pick him apart and score a second- or third-round TKO victory. I do not believe Imavov is ready for the elite of the division, and his gap in experience will show this weekend. Expect a classic Stylebender performance, folks.

Petela: This is a very dangerous main event for Israel Adesanya, in my opinion. Nassourdine Imavov has been stacking up wins over top-tier fighters and looking increasingly impressive. He looked a level above Brendan Allen when the two men fought, and Allen is a contender many people had earmarked as a potential future title challenger. That victory was even more impressive than his TKO win over Jared Cannonier. Imavov showed off a well-rounded skill set, and I believe that he will shine this weekend.

The best days of Adesanya are behind him at this point. He has competed professionally in kickboxing 80 times and 28 times in mixed martial arts. When you combine those with his six professional boxing matches, it is a grand total of 114 professional combat sports appearances. To say that is a lot of wear-and-tear on his body is an understatement. I think, over his last few fights, we have seen that he is just a shade less elusive than he once was, and, competing at the highest level, that little drop-off can be the difference between winning and losing.

I think Imavov is going to be able to hold his own on the feet with Adesanya and be able to take down Stylebender more easily than other opponents. Takedown defense is as much about speed and timing as it is power, and the little bit of decline from Adesanya will be the reason he ends up on his back multiple times throughout the contest. By the third round, Adesanya will be exhausted from getting taken down and trying to get back to his feet. As he tries to scramble and get upright, Imavov will latch onto his neck and secure a submission victory and vault himself into title contention.

The co-main event is a striking fan’s dream; which uniquely talented fighter will get it done, Shara Magomedov or Michael Page?

Petela: I just don’t see why there is so much hype behind Shara Magomedov. Don’t get me wrong, it is amazing that he can compete at the level he does with only one eye, but I think that deficit skews many people’s opinions on his actual talent level. He hasn’t exactly fought tomato cans, but he has had matchups that are tailor-made for him to look good. This is going to be a real test, except for the fact that he’s fighting a welterweight who is moving up a division.

Michael Page is difficult to hit and has a unique point-fighting style that is hard to figure out. We saw in his last fight that there are substantial deficiencies in his grappling and wrestling skills that will limit his upper-bound ceiling. This one will be a kickboxing match, and I think MVP will look good for most of the fight, eluding Magomedov’s strikes and landing crisp counters. However, as the smaller fighter, his strikes won’t have the same impact as they have at welterweight, and he won’t be able to stop Magomedov.

On the flip side, it will only take one big shot from “Shara Bullet” to stop Page in his tracks. Third-round stoppage for Magomedov in a fight he is losing until he wins. The promotion and commentators will praise him emphatically, but more and more people will start to realize he is a middle-of-the-pack talent, and he is one fight closer to getting exposed.

Sumian:What one fighter’s UFC career is on the ropes at this event?

Sumian: Sergei Pavlovcih desperately needs a win on Saturday to stay remotely relevant in the heavyweight division. He has suffered two dominant losses, albeit to elite competition. However, if he hopes to ever get back to the top of the division, a win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik is absolutely necessary.

Petela: Mayra Bueno Silva. She has lost two in a row, and, as a last ditch effort to maintain relevance, is moving weight classes. If she comes up short against fan-favorite Jasmine Jasudavicius, it is likely the end of the road.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

Petela: Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Mayra Bueno Silva. Jasudavicius is just fun to watch no matter what. She has notched three straight wins, two by submission, and is quickly becoming someone to watch in the women’s flyweight division. Mayra Bueno Silva is moving down to flyweight after losing two straight at bantamweight. It’ll be interesting to see if she can make weight without being too depleted and if she has a significant strength advantage in this contest. The fight itself will be fun, but Bueno Silva’s weight-cut journey will be almost as interesting.

Sumian: Terrance McKinney and Damir Hadozvic are going to put on a show. Both are wildmen, and McKinney is never in a boring event despite winning or losing. This will be a fun one for as long as it lasts.

Who takes home the “Performance of the Night” honors?

Sumian: Fares Ziam. Mike Davis is no slouch, and this fight is probably going to be a crazy back-and-forth brawl. Both will have their moments, but Ziam will eventually catch Davis and finish him with a submission. This is definitely a potential Fight of the Night contender.

Petela: Jairzinho Rozenstruik. He and Sergei Pavlovich are going to have a fun battle. Both big fellas can end the fight in an instant, but Rozenstruik will be the more measured. “Bigi Boy” will land a counter right hand that puts out Pavlovich in an instant and shakes the cage as he falls to the floor. That will definitely be a bonus-worthy performance.

Pair this card with…

Petela: Cake pops. Who doesn’t love a good cake pop, right? Regardless of the flavor, they are delicious. That is just like this fight card, there are going to be many compelling fights that will be great no matter who comes out victorious.

Sumian: Anime. This card features three of the most unique strikers in MMA today. Magomedov, Page, and Adesanya have all provided the MMA community with incredible moments that resemble fight scenes and finishes only seen in anime. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a really quality fight night that should leave fans wanting more.