Adesanya wants Chimaev fight

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has expressed interest in facing undefeated star Khamzat Chimaev following the Chechen fighter’s impressive victory over Robert Whittaker in October, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Nigerian-New Zealander, who returns to action against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250 in Saudi Arabia on February 1, admitted being impressed by Chimaev’s dominant performance.

“I was surprised by the way Khamzat ran through Rob, that was crazy. That made me want to fight him. I was like, ‘okay, this guy’s actually really, really good,’” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel.

A victory over seventh-ranked Imavov could put ‘The Last Stylebender’ in contention for a number-one contender match against the 14-0 Chimaev, who has finished most of his opponents in the first round despite competing only four times in the past two years due to health issues.

Adesanya, 35, will headline the UFC’s debut show in Saudi Arabia at the ANB Arena, Riyadh, in what will be his first non-title bout since defeating Anderson Silva in February 2019.

The striker has endured a challenging period, suffering consecutive losses to current champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 in August and Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September 2023.

Despite these setbacks, Adesanya remains one of the UFC’s biggest draws, boasting an impressive 24-4 record with 16 knockout victories to his name.

His upcoming opponent Imavov enters their bout in red-hot form, riding a three-fight winning streak following victories over Brendan Allen, Jared Cannonier and Roman Dolidze.

A win could propel Adesanya closer to a historic third reign as middleweight champion, with potential rematches against Strickland or du Plessis also on the horizon.

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