Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will attempt to snap out his first-ever consecutive losing streak when he faces France’s Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250 in Riyadh on Saturday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 35-year-old Nigerian-born New Zealander, who lost his title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 before suffering another defeat to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 last August, remains confident despite the setbacks.
“I feel if I lose my next 10 fights it wouldn’t affect my legacy. This fight is important for me, not for anyone else. I’m doing this to prove to myself I’m still involved in this game, I’m still getting better, I’m still very dangerous,” Adesanya said.
The bout marks the first time in six years and 12 fights that ‘The Last Stylebender’ will compete without a UFC championship on the line, having maintained an impressive record of 24 wins with 16 knockouts and just four defeats in his 13-year MMA career.
Adesanya recently sparked speculation about his future after jokingly referring to himself as a “gatekeeper” in the sport.
“I said ‘gatekeeper’ as a joke. I feel like the old dog and then there’s the young guys coming up trying to prove themselves,” he said.
“And it’s my job to send them back down and let them know I’m still here.”
The former champion has made significant changes to his preparation ahead of the fight, which headlines UFC’s second event in Saudi Arabia.
“For this camp, I was working and in my personal life, I just stayed away from places and people that don’t serve me in my ultimate goal. I just made a few changes just to align more with what I really want to get done in this game,” Adesanya told The Ariel Helwani Show.
His opponent, the 28-year-old Imavov, enters the contest on a three-fight winning streak, having last defeated American Brendan Allen in September. The Frenchman, nicknamed ‘The Russian Sniper’, hopes to extend his unbeaten run to five and position himself for a title shot.
Both fighters successfully made weight on Friday morning, each hitting the middleweight limit of 185 pounds, despite Adesanya causing concern with a cryptic social media post hours before the weigh-in.
A victory for Adesanya could potentially earn him another title shot or at least a number-one contender bout as he aims to reclaim his position at the top of the division.
“I’m always in the title picture. That’s because I’m Israel Adesanya, and I’ve done so much in this game,” he told Stake.com.