Israel Adesanya Plans To Make A Statement When He Takes On Nassourdine Imavov At UFC Saudi Arabia

Despite facing two tough defeats in his latest UFC outings, Israel Adesanya seems confident that he will remind fans who they are dealing with in his upcoming bout.

Adesanya will enter the octagon for his first appearance of 2025 to face No. 5 ranked middleweight Nassourdine Imavov under the bright lights of Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 1st. Adesanya will be looking to bounce back in a big way after his most recent submission loss to 185-pound champion Dricus du Plessis, meanwhile Imavov will be running with the momentum of 3 straight wins in 2024, which included a 4th round knockout of Jared Cannonier in June.

In a video recently posted to his YouTube channel, the former middleweight king touched on his upcoming return, and explained that he will be looking to make a statement and send a reminder in the form of combat.

“[I still fight] because I can.” Israel Adesanya stated in the YouTube video, ahead of his UFC Saudi Arabia return against Nassourdine Imavov. “I’m really, really, really good at it. I almost forgot how great I was. But then recently I just realized like ‘F*ck, I’m good at this s*it.’ I forget because, reasons. But yeah, it’s good to remind yourself. I keep saying ‘Y’all must’ve forgot.’. F*ck, I almost forgot!”

He continued, “I know [Imavov] is dangerous, I know he’s sick, I like his style. Not bad footwork. He’s dangerous, and very well-rounded. It’s not about him, it’s about me, it’s about improving. It’s about writing this chapter. I love the way things are playing out. It’s about me, and just improving, and really showing what I can really do in the full range of mixed martial arts.”