We all gasped when Dricus Du Plessis deployed a rear naked choke to submit Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. But ‘The Last Stylebender’ has chosen to come back again and make his way to the top once again. However this time, his opponent is the French middleweight, Nassourdine Imavov, at the first-ever UFC event of 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

While the entire world is excited for Adesanya and Imavov to clash at UFC Saudi Arabia, the fight fans have also begun to choose their favorites. But who has the higher probability of claiming a victory at the ANB Arena on the 1st of February? Let’s take a look at the stats and make a prediction, shall we?

Adesanya vs. Imamov head-to-head record and stats comparison

The former 2-time middleweight champion has amassed a professional MMA record of 24 wins and 4 defeats. Out of these, 16 of his wins came from knockouts and 6 of them were in the first round. With a height of 6’4” and a reach of 80”, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has connected 48% of his attempted significant strikes, and he was able to defend himself from 56% of the significant blows thrown at him.  

Nevertheless, Adesanya is a celebrated kickboxer who used to dominate the ring at Glory Kickboxing. And his stats often don’t rhyme with the way he smoothly operates in the MMA cage. After all, he’s the only mixed martial artist to have defeated the light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, and that came via a knockout. However, he has also faced defeat in the last 2 fights against Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland. 

On the other hand, ‘The Sniper’ has garnered a score of 15 victories and 4 losses in his professional MMA record. Out of these 15 victories, 4 came via submission, and 5 through KO/TKO. Even though Imavov stands one inch shorter than Israel Adesanya and has 5 inches shorter reach than him, he has a bit higher numbers in the performance game. The French fighter’s striking accuracy stands at 56%. On top of that, he has a takedown accuracy of 36%, which seemingly puts him on a stronger pedestal as far as the stats and records are concerned. 

But it’s not always the faster or stronger fighter who wins the match. Victory often goes to the one who has practiced his techniques well, and has a better fight IQ. Of course, in this scenario, Adesanya has garnered more fight experience than Imavov. So, is the fight supposed to tilt in favor of the New Zealander? Let’s find out!

Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imamov prediction

Needless to say, Adesanya is in quite a bit of pressure coming to UFC Fight Night 250. Not only is he trying to come out of a 2-fight losing spree, but this fight would also dictate his future in the middleweight title race. He has to prove that he’s still in his prime and is worthy of getting a title shot once again. Meanwhile, for Imavov, the fight is a chance for him to show that he can take on a former champion. He’s currently on a 3-fight win streak and a win over Adesanya would get him closer to the title picture. 

‘The Sniper’ is a more well-rounded fighter, who can try and dominate the Octagon in striking as well as grappling. Adesanya has a history of bad grappling. However, during his recent visit to City Kickboxing, Robert Whittaker found out that ‘The Stylebender’ has gotten better at the ground game. He said, “The thing I was most surprised about with Adesanya was actually his Jiu-Jitsu. I don’t know how he’s kept it so hidden. It’s really good.” And the cherry on top? Adesanya has defended 75%b of takedowns in his career. Imavov might just have a bit of trouble going against him. Even his height and reach have put the Frenchman at a disadvantage. 

However, Imavov can still turn the tide and rise victorious. Being a bit shorter, he’d love to resort to grappling, like often does. And then, it’d come down to experience. But Adesanya lost his fight against Strickland. And if you had seen how Strickland’s fight against Paulo Costa proceeded, you know it’s not hard for fighters to conquer Strickland. That seemingly puts Imavov in a slightly brighter space. But we’d have to wait for February 1 to find out!

Who do you think would win when Adesanya and Imavov lock horns? Drop down to the comments below and let us know your predictions.