All the key fight details as Israel Adesanya clashes with Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250 in the Middle East.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) travels to Saudi Arabia with an impressive lineup of mixed martial arts (MMA) talent, headlined by a thrilling main event middleweight clash between former two-time UFC champion Israel Adesanya of New Zealand and France’s rising star, Nassourdine Imavov.
The co-main event features a much-anticipated bout between the all-round brilliance of Shara Magomedov from Russia and the powerful punching Briton, Michael Page.
Here’s everything you need to know about UFC Fight Night 250:
When is the Adesanya vs Imavov fight?
The fight is scheduled for Saturday, February 1.
Where is the Adesanya vs Imavov fight taking place?
The fight will be held at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
When is the Adesanya vs Imavov cage walk?
Adesanya and Imavov will begin their cage walks at about 11pm local time on Saturday (20:00 GMT).
The main undercard fights are scheduled to begin at 8pm local time (17:00 GMT)
What are Adesanya and Imavov fighting for?
For the first time in six years, Adesanya will compete in a non-UFC title fight in his contest against Imavov.
On September 10, 2023, Sean Strickland stunned Adesanya, taking the UFC middleweight title away from the New Zealander.
On August 14, 2024, Adesanya lost a shot at regaining the title in a fourth-round defeat to UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia.
Meanwhile, Imavov comes into Saturday’s fight on a three-fight unbeaten streak with impressive victories over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier and Brendan Allen.
If the Frenchman can beat Adesanya, it’s tipped that he will be next in line for a shot at the UFC middleweight title, which will be decided on February 8 between the blockbuster Du Plessis vs Strickland fight at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia.
Where and how can I follow the Adesanya vs Imavov fight live?
Al Jazeera will have live text and photo coverage of the fight from 16:00 GMT on Saturday, February 1.
The fight will be live-streamed and broadcast on multiple regional platforms including ESPN+ in the US, TNT Sports in the UK, as well as the UFC’s Fight Pass.
What will be the duration of the Adesanya vs Imavov fight?
MMA fights vary in their number of rounds and the duration of each round, with title fights generally being the longest.
In this case, the Adesanya vs Imavov fight will be spread over five rounds of five minutes each.
Who is Israel Adesanya?
Nigerian-born, New Zealand-raised Adesanya is the number two ranked fighter in the UFC’s 185-pound (84kg), middleweight division – but is riding the first two-fight losing skid of his UFC career.
The 35-year-old began his career as an accomplished kickboxer before transitioning to MMA in 2012.
The 1.93m (Six feet, four inches) Adesanya signed on with the UFC in December 2017, going on to become a two-time UFC middleweight champion before losing the title in 2023 in an upset loss to Strickland.
Who is Nassourdine Imavov?
The French mixed martial arts fighter, who was born in the Russian province of Dagestan before moving to Salon-de-Provence at the age of nine, began his professional MMA career in 2016.
Imamov, 29, made his UFC debut in 2020, and his most recent fight was against Brendan Allen on September 28, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 243 where he won by unanimous decision.
Imavov, who stands 1.9m (six foot, three inches), is currently at a career-best fifth ranking in the highly competitive UFC middleweight division.
What’s Adesanya’s UFC fight record?
- Fights: 28
- Wins: 24
- Losses: 4
What’s Imavov’s UFC fight record?
- Fights: 20
- Wins: 15
- Losses: 4
- No Contests: 1
What has Adesanya said about the fight?
On Imavov: “Definitely, the pressure’s on him (Imamov). But again, I always put pressure on myself when I get there because I’m Israel Adesanya. There’s always that pressure, but he’s going to have to be the one rising to the occasion – if he has it in him. I have it in me to stop him.”
What has Imavov said about the fight?
On Adesanya: “It’s a huge fight (against Adesanya). I was so happy when they announced the fight. It’s the fight I have been looking for since I moved to the UFC. Israel Adesanya is a legend and I am so happy to fight against him.”
Who is on the main undercard?
Four main undercard events are listed in the build-up to the Adesanya vs Imavov headline fight in Riyadh, including the co-main event that pits emerging star Shara Magomedov against Britain’s Michael Page in a much-anticipated middleweight clash.
- Middleweight: Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page
- Heavyweight: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Bantamweight: Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira
- Featherweight: Muhammad Naimov vs. Kaan Ofli
Has a UFC event been held in Saudi Arabia before?
UFC Fight Night 250 is the second visit by the Ultimate Fighting Championship to the kingdom – but it’s the first time organisers have assembled a full card of elite fights, making this the most highly promoted UFC event ever staged in the Middle East.
The UFC’s maiden voyage to Saudi Arabia took place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on June 22, 2024, with the Robert Whittaker vs Ikram Aliskerov bout as the main event.