Nassourdine Imavov 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nassourdine Imavov, fifth in the rankings, had a magnificent 2024 with victories against Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, and Roman Dolidze. He has the biggest opportunity in front of him to make a statement against Adesanya.