Nassourdine Imavov believes he has secured a shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Imavov made the most of his opportunity in the main event of UFC Paris. He shared the Octagon with Caio Borralho, who hadn’t suffered a defeat since his second pro MMA fight back in 2015. The UFC Paris headliner went the distance, and Imavov showcased his high-level striking to nab the unanimous decision victory.
“The Sniper” was fighting for a potential shot at Khamzat Chimaev’s 185-pound gold. While Imavov put forth an impressive showing, the winner of Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez also hopes to be next in line for a title opportunity.
As far as Imavov is concerned, he believes there is no competition for the No. 1 contender at middleweight (h/t MMAJunkie).
“People said that against Adesanya, he was the best striker in the world and I couldn’t fight with him on the feet, but I knocked him out,” Imavov said during the UFC Paris post-fight presser. “This guy, Caio – I didn’t have to fight against him, but I did it. He was coming from 10 years in a row of victories, 16 straight victories, seven in a row in the UFC, and I won every round. Once again, I proved I’m the best. For me, there’s no discussion that I’m going to fight for the belt.”
Imavov’s winning streak has been extended to five. His last defeat was back in Jan. 2023 when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Sean Strickland, who went on to become the UFC Middleweight Champion in a shocking upset over Israel Adesanya that same year. Imavov now finds himself knocking on Chimaev’s door, but will the UFC brass give him the title shot if the winner of de Ridder vs. Hernandez also delivers fireworks?
BJPenn.com will keep you posted on the middleweight title race.