By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria’s UFC fighter, Israel Adesanya, suffered a shocking defeat late Saturday night as his opponent in the middleweight main card, Nassourdine Imavov, knocked him out in just 30 seconds of the second round.
The fight took place at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Adesanya, known as “The Last Stylebender,” was so stunned that he punched the canvas several times after the referee called off the fight.
This marks the third straight defeat for the 35-year-old New Zealand-based fighter, raising questions about his future in the sport.
Adesanya had employed his trademark jabs and hard kicks, which Imavov absorbed before delivering a strong straight jab to Adesanya’s eye, dropping the Nigerian to the canvas. Imavov then unleashed a barrage of punches before the referee stepped in to end the fight.
Before the match, Adesanya had predicted a fierce battle, saying he “saw blood on the sand.” He entered the fight with a record of 24-4-0, while Imavov had a 15-4-0 record.
This was Adesanya’s first non-title fight since 2019 and was intended as a stepping stone toward reclaiming his elite status in the middleweight division after suffering consecutive losses.
He has not secured a victory since April 2023, with previous losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis.
Imavov, ranked fifth in the middleweight division, came into the fight on a three-fight winning streak, having previously defeated Jared Cannonier, Roman Dolidze, and Brendan Allen.
This marked the 116th professional bout for Adesanya, who holds a 105-10 record in MMA and kickboxing, with six consecutive middleweight title defenses.
He has also won the King of the Ring tournament championship three times in two weight categories—cruiserweight and heavyweight.
Between August 30, 2014, and October 31, 2015, Adesanya defeated 13 fighters, including nine in just three nights, a remarkable achievement in his career.
