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Israel Adesanya’s Road Back To The Title Begins with UFC Saudi Arabia
The latest installment in what has been a blockbuster month of fights so far takes place this Saturday as the UFC roadshow makes it’s way to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Following hot on the heels of last week’s PFL main event (which will surely be a contender for ‘fight of the year’), Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event will attempt to emulate what Paul Hughes and Usman Nurmagomedov dished up in Dubai.
Let’s dive into this Saturday’s main card action.
UFC Saudi Arabia Main Event: Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov (Middleweight)
The man who ruled the roost at 185 lbs for so long, Israel Adesanya (24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC), makes his return this weekend as he takes on rising contender Nassourdine Imavov (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC).
This will be the first time fans will see “The Last Stylebender” compete in a non-title fight since he took on Anderson Silva at UFC 234 way back in February of 2019.
Adesanya won the interim title two months after that fight by beating Kelvin Gastelum before going on to unify the belts when he knocked out Robert Whittaker later that same year.
After a long period of dominance at the top of the middleweight division he suffered defeat at the hands of Alex Pereira late in 2022 only to reclaim the belt by winning an immediate rematch months later.
A prolonged sabbatical followed after the lost the belt to Sean Strickland in 2023 but despite getting an immediate title shot upon his return, he came up short against the new champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 last August.
Nassourdine Imavov enjoyed a fruitful 2024, picking up wins over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier and Brendan Allen, a run which saw him break into the top five in the division.
The Dagestani-born, French-based fighter certainly has momentum on his side going into this fight and possesses the right type of skills to cause the former champion some problems, particularly if he can bypass the impressive feints Adesanya uses and find his way into boxing range.
After coming up short against both Strickland and Du Plessis (who meet again next week at UFC 312), and with Khamzat Chimaev after gatecrashing the title conversation, it’s now or never for “The Last Stylebender” to show that he still has what it takes to be an important player in the middleweight division in UFC Saudi Arabia.
UFC Saudi Arabia Co-Main Event: Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page (Middleweight)
An extremely fun fight that should provide plenty of thrills. Welterweight contender Michael “Venom” Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has already stated that this detour up to 185 lbs is a simple “one and done” and his long-term goal is to return to his natural weight class.
Shara “Bullet” Magomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is exactly the right kind of fighter to bring out the showman in “MVP”.
Neither man has been renowned through their careers for their grappling skills, so fans should expect both fighters to stand toe-to-toe and throw leather.
Page carved out a reputation as somewhat of a human highlight reel during his long stint competing under the Bellator banner, while Magomedov is coming hot off the heels of one of the greatest finishes in UFC history when he knocked out Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308 in October.
Expect fireworks in the UFC Saudi Arabia co-main event.
UFC Saudi Arabia Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (Heavyweight)
Speaking of exciting striking matchups, Sergei Pavlovich (18-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and Jairzinho Rozenstruik (15-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) will meet inside the Octagon on Saturday.
The pair are two of the hardest hitters in the heavyweight division. Pavlovich will be looking to rediscover some of the winning form that earned him an interim title shot in 2023 before successive losses to Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov derailed his progress, while Rozenstruik will be brimming with confidence having beaten both Tai Tuivasa and Shamil Gaziev in 2024.
UFC Saudi Arabia: Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira (Bantamweight)
Two of the most exciting names outside of the top fifteen in the bantamweight division go head-to-head this weekend.
Said Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) makes his long-awaited return. The Dagestani fighter hasn’t competed since winning his first ‘performance of the night’ bonus when he submitted Muin Gafurov at UFC 294 in October of 2023.
Nurmagomedov has won five of his last six outings in the UFC (three by way of guillotine) but faces a stern test in Vinicius Oliveira (21-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC). The Brazilian came into the UFC after a win on Dana White’s Contender Series late in 2023 and picked up two notable victories inside the Octagon last year, beating both Bernardo Sopaj and Ricky Simon.
UFC Saudi Arabia: Fares Ziam vs. Mike Davis (Lightweight)
Two fighters who are riding four-fight winning streaks meet in the main card opener, as France’s fares Ziam (16-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) takes on Florida’s Mike Davis (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC).
Ziam scored a sensational knockout victory over Matt Frevola on home soil last September, while Davis submitted Natan Levy in his last outing ten months ago.
