The Big Lead

'One shot to kill a legend!' MMA world stunned as Nassourdine Imavov KO's Israel Adesanya at UFC Saudi Arabia

French middleweight contender shocked the world in Riyadh with a jaw-dropping KO of one of the UFC's modern-day greats

By Simon Head

Nassourdine Imavov gets checked out by the officials before the start of his middleweight main bout against Jared Cannonier at the UFC Fight Night mixed martial arts event Saturday, June 8, 2024, in Louisville, Ky.
Nassourdine Imavov gets checked out by the officials before the start of his middleweight main bout against Jared Cannonier at the UFC Fight Night mixed martial arts event Saturday, June 8, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. / Timothy D. Easley/Special to the Courier-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
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It was a night for the underdogs at UFC Saudi Arabia, as a host of unfancied fighters claimed upset victories in Riyadh, but the biggest shock of the night was saved for the main event.

French middleweight Nassourdine Imavov had built a solid reputation as a dangerous fringe contender, but few thought that he had the skills to topple former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who was looking to bounce back after a pair of back-to-back title fight losses in his last two outings.

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But, on the biggest night of his career, "The Sniper" lived up to his moniker as he stunned Adesanya early in the second round to claim a sensational knockout victory and put himself firmly into the title picture in the UFC's 185-pound division.

A big overhand right proved the difference-maker, as Imavov unloaded a huge shot to drop "The Last Stylebender" against the fence. The Dagestan-born Frenchman then closed in and landed a series of heavy ground strikes to put the finishing touches on a massive win as he improved his career record to 16 wins, four losses.

The finish left the UFC's commentary team almost as stunned as the crowd, but UFC analyst Laura Sanko found six words to perfectly describe how Imavov defeated Adesanya as she exclaimed, "One shot to kill a legend!"

After his win, Imavov set his sights on the UFC middleweight title, with the belt set to be contested at UFC 312 next weekend when champion Dricus Du Plessis rematches former champion Sean Strickland in Sydney, Australia.

"I think there is no doubt I am worth the belt," he said.

"Four victories in one year. Two top five, two top 10, two finishes. The record speaks for itself."

With Imavov taking the win after opening as a +170 underdog, it was an apt description for one of the most significant shock results we've seen in the UFC so far in 2025. But it was far from the only surprise on the card in Saudi Arabia.

In the co-main event, welterweight contender Michael "Venom" Page cashed as a +160 underdog as he defeated Russian knockout artist Shara "Bullet" Magomedov, while in-form French lightweight claimed victory as a +120 dog after opening as a +200 shot.

There was also a big win for Brazilian Vinicius Oliveira, who fought with damaged ribs and still managed to defeat Said Nurmagomedov after three closely-contested rounds. Oliveira as a +225 dog, but the fighter who goes by the name of "Lok Dog" showed his grit as he earned a hard-fought victory.

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