Things are very clear for Nassourdine Imavov: He’s up next for a shot at the UFC middleweight title
Saturday, Imavov (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) stopped the lengthy 16-fight winning streak of Caio Borralho in the main event of UFC Fight Night 258 in Paris. The dominant unanimous decision was the first loss for Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in 10 years. With his five-fight wining streak, Imavov thinks there’s no question he’s the next challenger for newly crowned champion Khamzat Chimaev.
“Absolutely, no hesitation that I’m next,” Imavov said in his post-fight interview in the cage. “It’s been 10 years that he was unbeaten, and I beat him with style, as well. I definitely need to be the next one.”
Top contender Renier De Ridder and Anthony Hernandez are set to fight next month. It’s a matchup some consider that it could define the next title challenger. However, for Imavov, it’s clear he’s the most worthy contender given his recent work.
“People said that against Adesanya, he was the best striker in the world and I couldn’t fight with him on the feet, but I knocked him out,” Imavov said at the UFC Fight Night 258 post-fight press conference. “This guy, Caio – I didn’t have to fight against him, but I did it. He was coming from 10 years in a row of victories, 16 straight victories, seven in a row in the UFC, and I won every round. Once again, I proved I’m the best. For me, there’s no discussion that I’m going to fight for the belt.”
