Did Nassourdine Imavov do enough at UFC Paris to secure No. 1 contender status?
Imavov shared the Octagon with Caio Borralho this past Saturday. The two headlined a card held in the Accor Arena. The bout was a chance for the winner to secure a UFC middleweight title opportunity against Khamzat Chimaev. Imavov ended up nabbing a unanimous decision victory with two scores of 49-46 and one 50-45 score.
While Imavov believes he’s sealed the next 185-pound title fight, the winner of Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez on Oct. 18 will also get a chance to make a case to fight Chimaev. In a new video posted on his YouTube channel, Daniel Cormier admitted he isn’t sure if Imavov did enough to guarantee a title fight (via MMAJunkie).
“When you’re in the situation that Imavov was in tonight and you get a dominant win like that, make no mistake about it, 4-1 on two scorecards, 5-0 on one scorecard, that’s a dominant win over a very good guy. But is it enough?” Cormier said. “Is it enough for people to go, ‘I don’t care what I see in Hernandez vs. RDR, I know that I watched my No. 1 contender fight when I watched UFC Paris?’
“I don’t like judging on a sliding scale, but being that he was first, being that he was dominant, I think today, people will rush to say he’s the No. 1 contender. But I think that because it wasn’t a finish between either, I think people will want to wait and see because if ‘Fluffy’ can replicate what he did in the last fight. They’ll go, ‘That’s more impressive. That seems more dangerous to Khamzat Chimaev.’ I think (Imavov) did amazing, but I don’t know if it solidified him, and that’s an unfortunate part of mixed martial arts.”
If there is an emphatic finish at the conclusion of “RDR” vs. “Fluffy,” it could leave Imavov on the outside looking in. Some wonder if Imavov can be competitive against Chimaev, who is known for his elite grappling and control. If Imavov could keep the fight on the feet, that’s where many see the fight getting interesting.
BJPenn.com will keep you posted on the UFC middleweight title picture.