France’s Nassourdine Imavov delivered the biggest victory of his career on Saturday night, knocking out former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in the second round of their UFC Saudi Arabia main event.

Competing in a non-title bout for the first time since 2019, the Nigerian-born New Zealand mixed martial artist was seeking to re-establish himself as a contender after losing three of his last four fights.

However, Imavov, largely overlooked in the pre-fight build-up, seized his opportunity emphatically.

The first round saw Adesanya maintain distance while defending an early takedown attempt from Imavov. The former champion looked composed, landing clean strikes as the Frenchman tried to close the gap.

In the second round, Adesanya stepped up the pressure but suffered an accidental eye poke. Despite being offered time to recover, he opted to continue immediately.

Imavov capitalised moments later, connecting with a powerful overhand right that sent Adesanya crashing to the canvas. Referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight at 2:45 of the round as Adesanya attempted to protest.

“I knew I had to be patient,” Imavov said. “Adesanya is one of the best in the world, but I saw my chance and took it.”

https://guardian.ng/sport/adesanya-suffers-shocking-2nd-round-knockout-defeat-to-imavov-in-saudi/