Nassourdine Imavov believes his next walk to the Octagon will be for UFC gold, and says the promotion has already made that clear.
Imavov, 17-4 in MMA and 9-2 in the UFC, has not competed since defeating Caio Borralho at UFC Fight Night 258 in September, but says the waiting game comes with a championship payoff. "Of course, my next fight is (for) the belt," Imavov said.
According to Imavov, the UFC shut down his attempt to stay busy while the middleweight title picture played out. "Before the fight with Strickland and Khamzat, I wanted to fight Dricus (Du Plessis) to stay active, and the UFC told me I could fight only for the belt. After Khamzat vs. Strickland, I'm 100 percent fighting for the belt."
Khamzat Chimaev was booked to fight Sean Strickland at UFC 328 for the UFC middleweight title instead of Imavov, and Strickland went on to defeat Chimaev to claim the belt.
Imavov, who previously lost to Strickland in a short-notice light heavyweight bout in 2023, describes their rivalry as deeply personal. "I do not like him," Imavov said. "He's not a good person. He talks sh*t every day. We already fought before, and he insulted me several times. Even during his fight week with Khamzat, he called me a terrorist. It's such bullsh*t that it's hard not to want to rip his head off. It's very personal. I think he's the only fighter in the UFC where it's so personal."
