UFC Fight Night 250 – Israel Adesanya headlines in Saudi Arabia. He will take on Nassourdine Imavov in Adesanya’s first non-title Fight since 2019.
Israel Adesanya opened up about how the fight with Nassourdine Imavov materialized in an interview with MMA Junkie, calling it a delightful surprise. He said staying active and seeking out tough opponents motivates him, with or without belts. The Lst Stylebender also said that his legacy and ability to entertain were important factors in taking the fight. His return, he said, is intended to generate interest in the middleweight division.
Recently with MMA Junkie, Israel Adesanya shared details of what led to a fight and how he feels about the upcoming event:
On being offered the fight in Saudi Arabia:
“Definitely, because I’ve been to Saudi Arabia when they started to open the gates to the world. I’ve been there probably 5 or 6 times, but I haven’t fought there. So yeah, I was excited to get the call that I’m fighting over in Saudi Arabia.”
On his motivation for this non-title fight:
“For me, it’s just proving to myself that I’m still that dude. I know I’m one of the best, if not the best, but I still feel like I’m improving. I just want to show the world the work that I’m doing.”
Israel Adesanya touched on many subjects in his interview, including the current middleweight division and his changing dynamic with Robert Whittaker. He said 185 lbs felt “empty” without him and he was happy with a full February schedule for the division.
The former Middleweight champion reminisced about their viral training session and called the gym energy between him and Whittaker wholesome. He said the respect between them and their rivalry had evolved into a true friendship.
Israel Adesanya Feels The Middleweight Division Was Boring Without Him
The interviewer then mentioned some of the other middleweight matches that have been announced for February and then Israel Adesanya responded:
“Yeah, that I didn’t know that all those other fights were in the month of February……Exciting times for 185…..But to be honest, 185 feels boring without me. So, yeah, I want to go in there and just make it interesting”
Israel Adesanya then discussed the viral training video with Robert Whittaker that was liked by many from the MMA community. He said:
“It was just organic. His coach hit up my coach, and Eugene, you know, asked me, and I was like, of course he can pull up anytime. I didn’t know he was pulling up on that Monday, so when I saw him, I was excited. It’s always good to have someone like Rob, a caliber of him, around the gym. You can feel his energy in the room, even though it’s just a chill vibe. It was nice to exchange with him and sit down with him, break bread with him, have him come on the breakdown and just, yeah, it was cool. I respect Rob tremendously, and I like him a whole lot more now.”
A win for Adesanya would be extremely important in terms of his positioning within the middleweight division and a potential matchup for a title shot again in the future. For a fan, there’s no more exciting journey than his continual growth and improvement and respect from the MMA community.
Speaking of this event, the fight card is filling up quickly with a number of high-stakes middleweight action as well. It’s a huge month for the division, with Adesanya headlining against Nasserdine Imavov and big names like MVP. With the milestone fights slated for February, it’s clear this event will fuel fans and maintain the middleweight division as the most entertaining in the sport. Be sure to check out our previous article for more details on these highly anticipated matches.
Sachin Singh 
REDDAVENI SAISNEHA 
Ashvinkumar Patil