Israel Adesanya will be part of his first non-title fight since February 2019 when the UFC lands in Saudi Arabia. There the former 185-pound champion will go one-on-one against Nassourdine Imavov in the main event. Imavov, fifth in the rankings, had a magnificent 2024 with victories against Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, and Roman Dolidze. The French-based Dagestani is 7–2–1 in the UFC and will be looking to grab his 8th win against ‘Izzy.’

In Israel Adesanya, he finds his biggest challenge yet. After all, ‘The Last Stylebender’ is second in the ranking; however, he comes from being submitted in four rounds by Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305, making him 1-2 in his last three fights. With such a great chance to cement his name against a former champion, ‘The Sniper’ will be going all out to be the next big thing in the division. So, obviously, fans would want to know more about such a prospect. In this article, we will find out how many languages Nassourdine Imavov speaks. Without further ado, let’s begin!

Nassourdine Imavov’s Languages

Imavov’s multicultural background influenced both his fight style and his ability to communicate, from his childhood in Dagestan to his professional development in France. Nassourdine Imavov was born on March 1, 1995, in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, Russia, and came to France with his family when he was ten years old in the pursuit of better opportunities in mixed martial arts. Despite his Russian ancestry, ‘The Sniper’ grew up in France, where he embraced French as his primary medium of communication. As a result, the #5-ranked fighter is fluent in French and frequently uses it to talk to his fans and colleagues.

However, Nassourdine Imavov’s early exposure to the Russian language, because of his upbringing in Dagestan, suggests that he also speaks Russian. However, given that he has spent the majority of his life in France, French is unquestionably his preferred language in interviews and contacts. While his MMA career has taken him to the international stage, his first language is French. But what about English? Like Khabib Nurmagomedov, does ‘The Sniper’ speak the language?

Does Nassourdine Imavov speak English?

Nassourdine Imavov is a skilled fighter for sure, but can he speak English? This is the definite question that several fight fans gave. So, what’s the answer to this major mystery? Well, the middleweight contender has always been accompanied by a translator during interviews and public appearances, guaranteeing that he can communicate well with media and fans outside of France. This is not uncommon among international fighters who are still used to the global MMA spotlight.

Imavov has always prioritized fighting and training over learning English for public appearances. As a result, his proficiency in French and Russian has been his priority, pushing English to the background. While his lack of English may limit his ability to engage with English-speaking fans, ‘The Sniper’ has nevertheless managed to build a name for himself in the UFC. But if he manages to grab a win against Israel Adesanya at The Venue in Riyadh, he will have to learn the language since Imavov would then be going for global domination through a title shot. What do you think? Will Nassourdine Imavov win against ‘The Last Stylebender’? Let us know in the comments.