13 hours Ago By Peter Akinbo
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has backed Nigeria’s Israel Adesanya to defeat Nassourdine Imavov in their upcoming non-pay-per-view clash in Saudi Arabia, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. Speaking to MMArcade, Whittaker, who has faced Adesanya twice, offered insights into why he believes the Nigerian will emerge victorious despite acknowledging Imavov’s formidable skills. “I’d have to lean into Izzy being the favourite.
He’s so good at what he does. But Imavov’s a bit of a dog—he can go the distance,” Whittaker said. “His striking is good, and I can see him pushing the pace, pushing the pressure to try to make Adesanya make errors, much like how Dricus (Du Plessis) fought him.
” The bout marks Adesanya’s first non-PPV UFC appearance in six years, as he looks to bounce back from consecutive losses to Sean Strickland and Du Plessis in 2024. Whittaker, who also fought Du Plessis, drew comparisons between Imavov and the South African champion. Related News Adesanya wants Chimaev fight Adesanya favourite for UFC Saudi Arabia UFC: Adesanya confirmed for Saudi Arabia card “Is Imavov as tanky as Dricus? Because I think Dricus made a really good blueprint on how to beat Adesanya—make him uncomfortable.
I think Imavov’s got the skill set to do that, but I’d still lean on Izzy being the favourite,” he added. Victory for Adesanya could set up a potential clash with Khamzat Chimaev, who impressed the Nigerian with his recent win over Whittaker. “I was surprised by the way Khamzat ran through Rob—that was crazy.
That was like, wow, that made me want to fight him. I was like, okay, s**t, this guy’s good,” Adesanya said. Chimaev also praised Adesanya’s abilities in an interview with Daniel Cormier.
“Izzy is a better fighter than Du Plessis, I think. Yeah, they fought (and Izzy lost) but, as a fighter, you have to ask, how much are you hungry? How much do you want it?” Chimaev said..
