The 30-year-old Frenchman delivered a lightning-fast precision punch with his right hand to signal the start of the second round, living up to his nickname, “The Sniper.”
Adesanya, who had been battling for the title for the first time since February 2019, was attempting to resurrect a career-long pursuit of the belt before succumbing to three of his previous four attempts to win the title.
In his final appearance in August 2024, Du Plessis of South Africa defeated him in a submission match against Brazil’s Alex Pereira in November 2022, but he won the rematch before claiming the title again on points to American Strickland.
Nicknamed “Stylebender”, Adesanya started well, landing heavy kicks to the body and using feints to draw out his 30-year-old French opponent, who came into the fight following a run of three wins from three in 2024.
The Nigerian-born New Zealander was in for a shock when Imavov landed that thunderous overhand right on his jaw, followed by a vicious left uppercut as his opponent stumbled to the canvas.
Adesanya was given a chance to recover, but the referee waved off the match as Imavov continued to rain down blows, earning Imavov a knockout victory.
“I said it all week long that I was in perfect shape”, Imavov said through an interpreter. Tonight, I demonstrated to the audience that I was a better striker. The real bonus for me will now be the belt fight.
In a tense, tactical fight in which Page used his unpredictable striking to outpoint his opponent, England’s Michael “Venom” Page won the co-main event by a unanimous decision over Shara Magomedov.
Source: Aljazeera
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