A recent UFC Fight Night saw Israel Adesanya, a former UFC middleweight champion, drop two spots to fourth in the official rankings after his defeat to Nassourdine Imavov. This loss marked Adesanya’s third consecutive defeat in a year, leading to Imavov rising to the second rank in the middleweight category, surpassing Khamzat Chimaev.
Despite Imavov’s higher position, Chimaev is anticipated to challenge the winner of the championship rematch between Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland, as suggested by MMA journalist John Morgan.
Adesanya’s recent loss came against Imavov, where he initially showed promise with effective low kicks. However, Imavov managed to knock Adesanya down with a powerful right hand in the second round, leading to a stoppage by referee Marc Goddard after ground strikes.
This defeat is significant for Adesanya, as it marks the first time in six years and 12 fights that he competed without a UFC championship at stake. With 24 wins, including 16 knockouts, and four losses in his MMA career, Adesanya is now focused on his comeback.
Notable changes in the middleweight division’s rankings include Roman Kopylov entering at No. 14 after a TKO win over Chris Curtis and Bo Nickal debuting at No. 15.
Following his loss, Adesanya shared a message on social media, reflecting his resilience and determination to return stronger, “As real as it gets, @ufc. Rolled the dice…snake eyes. I’ll be back, gone to get some milk.”