Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov on Saturday night, marking his third straight defeat.
Adesanya was rocked by a powerful right hand from Imavov, sending him crashing to the canvas. Imavov then followed up with heavy ground and pound, sealing the win midway through the second round.
Adesanya had previously overcome a long-standing rivalry with Alex Pereira, securing a knockout victory in April 2023 to reclaim the UFC middleweight title. However, he would go on to suffer consecutive losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.
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Heading into his matchup with Imavov, Adesanya needed a win to stay relevant at the top of the middleweight division, but the Frenchman denied him that opportunity with a dominant performance.
Adesanya briefly protested the stoppage, but it was clear that things would have only gotten worse if the referee hadn’t intervened. The crowd at the AnB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was left in shock, with Adesanya visibly frustrated, slamming the canvas as the reality of the loss set in.
