5 Defining Moments: Nassourdine Imavov

Nassourdine Imavov stands but a few steps from title contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division.

The well-regarded 6-foot-3 Nicolas Ott protégé will look to boost his stock further when he takes on Brendan Allen in the UFC Fight Night 243 co-headliner on Sept. 28 at Accor Arena in France. Imavov, 29, has compiled a 6-2 record with one no contest over his nine appearances inside the Octagon. He boasts 10 finishes among his 14 career victories, seven of them inside one round.

As Imavov makes final preparations in advance of his showdown with Allen at 185 pounds, a look at five of the many moments that have come to define him:

1. Doozy of a First Step

Imavov was 20 years old when he suited up as a professional mixed martial artist for the first time, and it did not go according to plan. The Frenchman tapped to a guillotine choke from Majdeddine Ayadi in the first round of their 100% Fight 27 pairing on Feb. 4, 2016 at L’Embarcadere in Aubervilliers, France. Imavov raised the white flag of surrender 4:49 into Round 1. An Atch Academy rep who already had nine appearances under his belt at the time, Ayadi made the most of his opportunities. He executed a takedown in the latter stages of the opening round, locked in the guillotine and moved to full mount before arching his back to maximize the bite on the choke. Imavov struggled valiantly to survive but ultimately had no choice but to tap. It remains the lone stoppage loss of his 19-fight career. Imavov went on to win eight of his next nine bouts before signing with the UFC in 2020.

2. Entering the Fray

Effective standup and an active submission game carried Imavov to a successful Octagon debut, as he took a unanimous decision from Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Jordan Williams as part of the UFC on ESPN 16 undercard on Oct. 3, 2020 at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Scores were 29-28, 29-27 and 29-27. Operating in the shadows of the Holly Holm-Irene Aldana main event, Imavov withstood an accident clash of heads in the first round that left him dazed and resulted in a cut on his opponent’s forehead. From there, it was mostly one-way traffic. Imavov outlanded the Nor-Cal Fighting Alliance rep by a 58-16 margin in significant strikes across the final two rounds, walked away with a comfortable victory and established himself as a person of interest in the 185-pound weight class.

3. Steely Resolve

Imavov rebounded from a contentious majority decision defeat to Phil Hawes and brought down former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Ian Heinisch with punches in the second round of their UFC on ESPN 27 middleweight prelim on July 24, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The end came 3:09 into Round 2. Heinisch enjoyed some success with kicks to the inside and outside of the Frenchman’s leg, but his gains were minimal. Imavov pressed forward with punches—a punishing jab was perhaps his most effective weapon—and methodically broke down the Sanford MMA product. He countered Heinisch with a stinging left hand during their final exchange, pinned him to the fence and sent a knee crashing into his face. Imavov then flurried on the crouched American with punches until the job was done.

4. Stumbling Block

Sean Strickland stepped in as a short-notice replacement for “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner Kelvin Gastelum and took a five-round unanimous decision from Imavov in the UFC Fight Night 217 main event on Jan. 14, 2023 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. Consistent output and superior conditioning tipped Strickland’s spear. The former King of the Cage champion secured a takedown in the second period, racked up nearly two minutes of control time and then proceeded to turn up the heat. Strickland threw 178 strikes across the third and fourth rounds—he landed 104 of them—to create some welcomed distance between himself and the Russian-born Frenchman. In his first headlining assignment with the UFC, Imavov rallied in Round 5 but could not do enough to close the gap and fell short on the scorecards.

5. Back on the Rails

Imavov climbed into the Top 5 at 185 pounds with his most significant win to date, as he put away Jared Cannonier with punches in the fourth round of their UFC on ESPN 57 headliner on June 8, 2024 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Referee Jason Herzog waved it off 94 seconds into Round 4 and received widespread criticism for his decision to do so. The two middleweight contenders traded barbs throughout their encounter, as Cannonier answered thumping jabs from his adversary with damaging kicks to the lower lead leg. Imavov staggered the MMA Lab rep with a clean right hook in the fourth round, gave chase with punches and poured on the punishment. A badly hurt Cannonier stumbled toward the fence but seemed alert enough to defend himself despite absorbing a considerable amount of abuse in a short period of time. Nevertheless, Herzog intervened with the Dallas native still on his feet. Cannonier immediately protested the stoppage, to no avail.