Israel Adesanya recently reacted to Nassourdine Imavov's win over Caio Borralho at UFC Paris last weekend and theorized how the Russian-born Frenchman could pose problems for middleweight king Khamzat Chimaev in a potential fight.
Despite many backing Borralho to beat Imavov, 'The Sniper' put on a masterclass performance over five rounds at UFC Paris and got his hand raised via unanimous decision. Given that this fight was touted to be a potential title eliminator alongside the upcoming Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez fight at UFC Vancouver, many believe that Imavov could face Chimaev in his next outing.
In a recent video uploaded to YouTube, Adesanya shared his thoughts on Imavov's win over Borralho and said:
"Nassourdine came in and just showed why he’s a sniper. He was just touching him, took it away, 4-1. So the French today, they were on point."
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Outlining how Imavov could give Chimaev trouble in a potential middleweight title fight, Adesanya continued:
"If he [Imavov] can take away the wrestling from Khamzat, he’ll give him problems. That’s what you have to do. Khamzat can strike, but I see what I see. His wrestling is his main weapon, and he commits a lot to the wrestling. He gets the f**king grip and he takes people down, keeps them down. So if Nassourdine can get past that, he’ll give Khamzat problems. Right now, Khamzat’s on point, he’s got the momentum behind him, and so does Imavov. Who’s going to win? We’ll see."
Catch Israel Adesanya's comments below (6:30):
Nassourdine Imavov believes he's "next" for Khamzat Chimaev after UFC Paris win
After beating Caio Borralho at UFC Paris, Nassourdine Imavov made it clear that he wants a title shot against Khamzat Chimaev next. The Russian-born Frenchman also vowed to beat Chimaev "in style" when they fight.
At the UFC Paris post-fight octagon interview, Imavov called out Chimaev with the help of a translator and said:
"I am next."
He continued:
"Absolutely, no hesitation whatsoever, I'm next. It's been 10 years that he was unbeaten. And I [will] beat him, and I will beat him in style as well. So definitely, I need to be the next one. Guys, show me that we are in France here, we're not in Brazil."