Nassourdine Imavov (17-4) says his next walk to the Octagon will be for UFC gold, claiming promotion brass actively turned down his request for a stay-busy fight against former champion Dricus du Plessis.
“The Sniper” last fought in September 2025, cementing his status as a top contender with a dominant unanimous decision win over Caio Borralho (18-2) at UFC Paris. Desperate to avoid a long layoff, Imavov pitched a showdown with du Plessis, but the UFC shut it down to preserve his title challenger status.
“I wanted to fight Dricus [du Plessis] to stay active, and the UFC told me I could only fight for the belt,” Imavov said. “After Khamzat vs. Strickland, I’m 100% fighting for the belt.”
The reigning champion Sean Strickland (31-7) – who holds a 2023 decision win over Imavov—expressed interest in defending his belt against the Frenchman after upsetting Khamzat Chimaev. While Chimaev has campaigned for an immediate rematch and du Plessis recently questioned Imavov’s inactivity, UFC CEO Dana White maintained that fan demand will dictate who gets the next shot at gold.