New Zealand based Nigerian-born former two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion, Israel Adesanya, has lost his third middleweight clash against French rising star, Nassourdine Imavov.
Adesanya.lost the fight by technical knockout in the second round, putting doubts on the Nigerian martial arts expert continuation in the sports.
The former two-time middleweight champion entered the bout on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, facing mounting pressure after back-to-back defeats to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.
Despite being the favorite, Adesanya was unable to stop the skid, as Imavov, a Dagestani-born Frenchman, delivered the biggest victory of his career with a stunning second-round knockout.
Adesanya started the fight light on his feet, using a series of hard low kicks to attack Imavov’s lead leg. However, the relentless Imavov remained undeterred, continuing to press forward. He eventually closed the distance and landed a powerful shovel hook that snapped Adesanya’s head back.
A minute and a half before the end of the round, Adesanya absorbed a heavy right hand but managed to take the shot. Unfortunately for the former champion, he couldn’t recover in time for the restart. Moments later, Imavov landed another powerful right hand, this time sending Adesanya crashing to the canvas.
Imavov didn’t waste any time following up with a huge left uppercut and a barrage of ground-and-pound. Referee Marc Goddard stepped in, stopping the fight and declaring Imavov the victor. The crowd at the AnB Arena, including global football star Cristiano Ronaldo, was left in shock by the unexpected finish.
Adesanya, visibly stunned, stood in disbelief as the harsh reality of the knockout began to sink in.
