Do not let Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov’s calm demeanors fool you, there is a lot at stake for them at UFC Fight Night on Saturday. Adesanya defends his position among the middleweight elite against a rising contender looking to change his life in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Adesanya (24-4) is in an unusual place. The former UFC middleweight champion competes in his first non-title fight since beating Anderson Silva in February 2019. It’s also his first non-pay-per-view fight since July 2018. Adesanya is on the verge of his first losing streak in 114 combined combat sports fights across mixed martial arts, kickboxing and boxing, dating back to 2010. A win is crucial if Adesanya wants to remain among the middleweight elite. Despite the immense stakes, Adesanya refuses to bear outside pressure or consider options in another weight class.
“Not really. I put the pressure on myself,” Adesanya told CBS Sports ahead of Saturday’s card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “If that’s how he feels, that’s how he feels. I’ve been here before.
“Middleweight is where I’m at so I’m chilling, doing my own thing.”
Imavov (15-4, 1 NC) has been relentless in his pursuit of glory. Saturday marks his fourth time competing in 363 days. Imavov’s output has rewarded him with the biggest fight of his career. The Frenchman believes a win secures him a middleweight title shot. Khamzat Chimaev might be ahead of Imavov in the pecking order, but Imavov’s reliability makes him a prime candidate if the UFC calls. Saturday’s fight is the biggest of Imavov’s career, but he shrugs off Adesanya’s assertion that the pressure is on him.
“The pressure is on his side,” Imavov told CBS Sports through a French interpreter. “The fact he already lost two fights in a row. Now he’s fighting a lower-ranked guy. He doesn’t want to lose to me or lose three times in a row. I know he hates not being a champion. I consider the pressure to be on his side.
“After the fight, it’s the belt. If I have to wait, I’ll wait. If I have to replace someone to fight for the belt, I’ll do it. I’m always ready to fight.”
Check out the full interview with Israel Adesanya below.
UFC Fight Night presents a much better offering this week than at the UFC Apex in January. Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira and Mike Davis vs. Fares Ziam are solid fights between rising contenders. Even more intriguing is the co-main event. Sharabutdin Magomedov — better known as “Shara Bullet” — called out Adesanya after his KO of the Year candidate double spinning back fist at UFC 308. Interestingly, Michael “Venom” Page answered the challenge up a weight class.
“He has an exciting style, very explosive and interesting to watch,” Page told CBS Sports. “I feel it isn’t anything I haven’t seen before. Because I was in the kickboxing world for so long, I’ve seen and sparred with people like him. As much as I think he’s exceptional, I see things I can exploit.”
“I can say with confidence that he’s never seen a striker in front of him like me,” Magomedov told CBS Sports through a Russian interpreter. “What’s going to happen is he’ll see me in front of him and realize I’m going to be quite a puzzle to solve. Once he realizes how to solve him, it will be way too late for him.”
Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday, with the latest odds, before we make a prediction and pick the main event.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Israel Adesanya -165 | Nassourdine Imavov +140 | Middleweight |
| Sharabutdin Magomedov -190 | Michael Page +160 | Middleweight |
| Sergei Pavlovich -320 | Jarizinho Rozenstruik +250 | Heavyweight |
| Said Nurmagomedov -160 | Vinicius Oliveira +135 | Bantamweight |
| Mike Davis -145 | Fares Ziam +122 | Lightweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: Feb. 1 | Start time: 12 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: anb Arena — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
TV channel: ESPN+
Prediction
Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov: Adesanya should be a bigger betting favorite than the odds indicate. He’s coming off consecutive losses to two of the best middleweights on the roster. Sean Strickland makes every fight ugly and Dricus du Plessis is dominant. Adesanya is still championship caliber. Imavov’s best asset is his well-roundedness. His diverse skills allow him to capitalize on his opponent’s mistakes. But Adesanya isn’t error-prone. Adesanya is the superior striker and has spent his MMA career working to keep the fight on his terms. Imavov lacks a clear dominant skill to beat Adesanya. Alex Pereira, Strickland and du Plessis respectively weaponized their striking, pressure and physicality to beat Adesanya. I struggle to find the key asset Imavov can use to overwhelm the former champ. Adesanya via Unanimous Decision
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