Israel Adesanya is rumored to face No. 5-ranked Nassourdine Imavov in a high-profile UFC Fight Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 1, 2025.
The matchup, yet to be officially confirmed, follows weeks of speculation about Adesanya’s next opponent after a difficult year in the octagon.
Caio Borralho, fresh off a dominant win against Jared Cannonier, revealed in a recent Inside Fighting interview that Adesanya had the option to face either him or Imavov next. According to Borralho, the former middleweight champion opted for Imavov, stating:
“I think they presented two fighters for him—me and Imavov—and I think he chose Imavov. He actually posted a story on his Instagram studying Imavov’s tapes, so I think he already made his choice.”
Adesanya’s Struggles and Comeback Plans
Adesanya, once a dominant champion, has struggled in 2024. He lost his title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in one of the year’s biggest upsets and later fell to Dricus du Plessis via fourth-round submission at UFC 305. At 35 years old, Adesanya is under pressure to rebound and work his way back to title contention.
Speaking about his future in a recent podcast, Adesanya said:
“You’ve got to break up with fighting before fighting breaks up with you. I know I’m over the halfway point… maybe three years away, but who knows?”
For Nassourdine Imavov, this fight could be career-defining. The French middleweight’s dynamic striking and well-rounded skills make him a formidable challenge for Adesanya.
A victory against a former champion like Adesanya could propel Imavov into title contention, while a loss could reinforce doubts about Adesanya’s ability to reclaim his former glory.
With UFC aiming to make a statement in its second Saudi Arabia event, fans can expect an exciting main event.
As the promotion finalizes the matchup, the stakes couldn’t be higher for both fighters.
Here are all the announced bouts for UFC 250, Saudi Arabia:
- Middleweight bout: Ikram Aliskerov vs. André Muniz
- Heavyweight bout: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Heavyweight bout: Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Jamal Pogues
- Middleweight bout: Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Michael Page
- Women’s Flyweight bout: Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
- Heavyweight bout: Shamil Gaziev vs. Thomas Petersen
- Featherweight bout: Lucas Alexander vs. Bogdan Grad
- Lightweight bout: Damir Hadžović vs. Terrance McKinney
- Bantamweight bout: Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira
- Featherweight bout: Muhammad Naimov vs. Kaan Ofli
