Israel Adesanya watched on as former opponent Nassourdine Imavov won a dominant decision in the UFC main event.
It was a huge night for French MMA as Imavov capped off a successful streak of wins for his home country at UFC Paris.
The star put on an expert striking display to keep Caio Borralho at bay for five rounds to secure his place as the second-ranked contender in the UFC middleweight division.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
After defeating Borralho, Imavov can now focus on chasing a championship shot against Khamzat Chimaev, who won the belt at UFC 319.
Former Nassourdine Imavov opponent Israel Adesanya sends a positive message to Caio Borralho after UFC Paris loss
Although fans are all saying his chances against Chimaev are slim, the Frenchman has been waiting for his shot for over a year since picking up victories against the likes of Adesanya.
‘The Sniper’ knocked out the ‘Stylebender’ in the second round of their contest in January to solidify his hopes of becoming the next title contender.
Caio’s loss was the second defeat on the night for the ‘Fighting Nerds’ group after Mauricio Ruffy was submitted by Benoit Saint-Denis in the co-main event.
While it was two bad defeats for the team, the Nigerian was quick to tell both men to ignore the critics.
On his YouTube channel, the star was asked to send a message to the two men. He said: “Just keep doing what you are doing. Because people will start saying now, ‘Oh, retire’.
“These f- – – ing incels don’t know s- – -. So, they just have to go back to the drawing board. Keep doing what they’re doing. Keep leveling up and they’ll be back.”
Nassourdine Imavov is confident of a UFC title shot and is unfazed by UFC Vancouver main event
While the Brazilian will have to fight his way back into the title picture, Nassourdine is ready to seize an opportunity he believes he deserves.
But there are also two other contenders set to do battle who believe they deserve their shot.
Reinier de Ridder and Anthony Hernandez compete in the UFC Vancouver main event, which has been billed as the number one contender contest for the Chechen’s title.
The 29-year-old is more than confident that he will get his shot at the belt before the winner of that contest.
Speaking to Full Send MMA during fight week, he said: “Who’s fighting in Vancouver? RDR (smiles)? I’m the next, I’m not even worried about the next fight.
“I mean, you have to be realistic. No one did what I did for the sport in the last year. Five Top 10 guys, two finishes. I mean, no one did that.”
The win over Borralho is now his 11th win over a fighter in the UFC Top 10, and a title shot is a matter of when, not if, for the pride of France.