Israel Adesanya suffers stunning KO loss to Nassourdine Imavov

UFC Saudi Arabia delivered a night of upsets on Saturday, as both Israel Adesanya and Shara Magomedov suffered unexpected defeats in the co-main and main events.

Adesanya entered as the UFC betting favorite against Nassourdine Imavov but was knocked out in the second round by a perfectly placed overhand right.

Meanwhile, Magomedov endured his first career loss in a unanimous decision defeat to Paul Craig after a grueling three-round battle.

Imavov’s victory stood out for its dominant nature.

In the first round, he landed a sharp uppercut that caught Adesanya off guard, and in the second, he delivered a sweeping overhand right that sent the former champion crashing to the canvas.

With Adesanya unable to defend himself, the referee stopped the fight, sealing a stunning upset.

“I proved it tonight—I was the better striker,” Imavov said after the bout.

“I feel so good. I said it all week—I was in the perfect shape.

My confidence comes from my family, my brother, my team. Surround yourself with people like this, and you will be this way.

We’ve been sharing the same goal for 10 years.

I promised to do something tonight. That was the special surprise.”

Imavov is now setting his sights on a middleweight title shot, with the belt up for grabs next weekend at UFC 312 in Sydney, where Dricus du Plessis will defend against Sean Strickland.

“Now the real reward is, I get to fight for the title,” he said.

“I think there is no doubt I’m worth the belt. Four victories in one year.”

Du Plessis is currently favored to retain his title, with top MMA sportsbooks listing him at -188 to defeat Strickland at UFC 312.

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