Despite a third consecutive loss at UFC Saudi Arabia to Nassourdine Imavov, Israel Adesanya remains optimistic about his performance and future fights, attributing the defeat to a key mistake rather than lack of preparation.
Israel Adesanya’s in a slump, but don’t tell him that. Despite a knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia extending his losing streak to three—dropping him to 1-4 in his past five fights—Adesanya has few regrets about his latest outing.
The main event ended in the second round when Imavov caught “The Last Stylebender” with a series of precision punches, forcing a stoppage. What’s next for the two-time middleweight champion? Unclear. But Adesanya was pleased with his preparation and is feeling positive about fighting again.
“Awesome,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel about his performance. “I wouldn’t change a thing about this camp. I felt great. Next fight’s going to be even better.”
“I’m going to chase the red again,” he continued, reflecting on personal sacrifices. His flatmate moved out to start a family, leaving Adesanya alone. “I just became locked in, like samurai,” he said, using solitude as fuel.
Known for his elite striking, Adesanya didn’t plan to finish Imavov early. He expected to feel out the fight in Round 1 and then increase his pace later.
“My plan was that Round 3, or even later in Round 2,” he explained. “I’ll put the lead on and get him back to the fence.” Energy and footwork were key.
“It was on, my leg kicks, my jab,” he added. “Energy don’t lie. So me and him knew, ‘OK, you’re getting tired.’”
Unfortunately for Adesanya, fatigue wasn’t an issue for Imavov. He found an opening with a hard right hand—the beginning of the end for Adesanya.
Adesanya points to a key mistake after an accidental eye poke. He rushed back into action without resetting effectively.
“So I knew it was going to be the end of Round 2 or Round 3 I’d catch him,” he mused. “I should have taken time… but then I was like, ‘OK, cool.’”
“But I should have just been about six inches back more,” he admitted. Imavov capitalized on this, landing a perfect left hook on the fence. “Damn,” Adesanya concluded.