Adesanya vs Imavov UFC Prediction and Best Pick For Saudi Arabia Betting Preview Feb 01

Dana White and Co. return to Riyadh for UFC Saudi Arabia this weekend. With a headliner involving the former middleweight king, Israel Adesanya, and the up-and-coming Nassourdine Imavov, the Saudi locals are in for a treat regarding their first live event of 2025.

As the octagon awaits the UFC gladiators, who better to top a non-title main event than a former champion and a 185lb foe that’s coming off three consecutive top-ranked victories? But more importantly, who’s the best UFC betting pick, and what should we expect from the martial arts goodness within Riyadh Season this weekend?

If you don’t know, now you know.#UFCRiyadh is LIVE SATURDAY on @ESPNPlus at noon ET! #RiyadhSeason @RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/zzF8dVIQOc

— danawhite (@danawhite) January 29, 2025

UFC Saudi Arabia How To Watch

• Date/Time: Saturday, February. 1, 2025 – 09:00 a.m. ET
• Location: ANB Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass
• Main Event Bout: Israel Adesanya vs Nassourdine Imavov
• Co-Main Event Bout: Shara Magomedov vs Michael Page

Israel Adesanya vs Nassourdine Imavov Betting Preview

Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya

Israel Adesanya is a former two-time middleweight champion who hasn’t fought in a non-title bout since 2019. For the last five years, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has certainly bent the styles of his opponents. Between 2018 and 2022, he collected a 12-0 undefeated record at middleweight, thus making him a pound-for-pound great and one of the fastest-rising champions in promotion history.

Unfortunately for Izzy, an old foe in Alex Pereira flipped his trajectory on its head. The pair did share one win each during their legendary feud, but ever since that first brutal knockout loss for Adesanya at UFC 281, his UFC record has stood at 1-3.

While staying in the title picture after reclaiming the strap from Pereira, Izzy recorded back-to-back defeats against Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. These losses marked the first losing streak of his professional career, as the 35-year-old is now returning to climbing the ladder in 2025 in order to reinstate his position as a worthy championship contender for UFC betting fans.

🇸🇦
Load up, roll out. Gonna show you what we about! pic.twitter.com/QbfVd5x2gS

— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) January 29, 2025

Nassourdine ‘The Sniper’ Imavov

Standing in front of Adesanya’s path back to greatness is Nassourdine Imavov, a Russian fighting out of France who’s currently a No. 5-ranked middleweight contender.

And what a turn of events it’s been for ‘The Sniper’ from twelve months ago.

From entering 2024 on a two-fight losing skid to starting 2025 with three consecutive wins and a chance to fight one of the most dominant middleweight champions in history is some journey. The Paris-based 28-year-old still has much to learn about tangling with 185’s elite, but to topple Izzy on Saturday would place him as a legitimate contender for DDP’s strap.

🚨| Nassourdine Imavov believes a win over Israel Adesanya at #UFCSaudiArabia should be enough to earn him a middleweight title shot. 🏆

However, he says if the promotion gives Khamzat Chimaev the next shot then he will fight again as he likes to stay active. 👏

[via… pic.twitter.com/ldtHzJdyy6

— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) January 29, 2025

Adesanya Looks to Make a Statement Versus Imavov

During a recent episode of Ariel Helwani’s podcast, Adesanya made it known that he’s looking to make a statement in his UFC Saudi Arabia return and that he’ll prove he’s still the best middleweight on the planet:

“I want to compete at the highest level because I still feel like I’m the best, and I want to prove that. I’m quietly confident about my skills and the work I’ve put in for this fight. I can’t wait to go back in there and do the work, and then people are going to be on my d*ck again,” he told the UFC news outlet.

Adesanya vs Imavov: The Tale of The Tape

Israel Adesanya vs Nassourdine Imavov Inside the Octagon: Skillset Breakdown

Is Grappling Imavov’s Path to Victory?

It’s no secret that Israel Adesanya, with his kickboxing style, wouldn’t match up well with grappling/wrestling-based opponents. That said, based on a handful of his UFC performances to date, I don’t envision Imavov as this type of fighter.

Originally, Imavov was a boxer by trade, and his striking numbers aren’t shabby whatsoever. Yes, he’s displayed some excellent work behind a pressure-based grappling style at times, but it must be stated that he’s a striker, first and foremost.

In a striking battle with Izzy, I wouldn’t see him out-pointing the former champ. He has the durability to survive any onslaught and the output worthy of standing toe-to-toe, but I struggle to see his cardio keeping high striking numbers across 25 minutes when opposed to such a talented kickboxer.

Could Imavov wrestle his way to winning some rounds? Sure, but even more so, his cardio isn’t the most trustworthy, and honestly, Adesanya’s takedown defense has been solid during his UFC tenure more often than not. That’s something to consider when you bet online.

Nassourdine Imavov’s pad work sounds like gun shots 😳 pic.twitter.com/zZ6GgrjpRt

— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) January 28, 2025

A Clash of Styles

In the former two-time champ, Izzy, we’re going to see the perfect methods capable of stopping Imavov from attempting to grapple. With an effortless ability to piece opponents up at range behind fluid footwork, he will land kicks, punch or win counter-striking battles with the division’s best and look damn good doing so. His ability to keep a distance between himself and the opposition is exquisite, thus allowing him to deliver strikes at awkward angles and drain the damage meter of his foes with volume over time.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Imavov attempt to throw in some grappling, but I do expect a kickboxing war for the most part. This didn’t fare well for Izzy against Sean Strickland, but that forward-walking robot output of Strickland won’t be present here.

“He’s falling for everything iz”🏹🐉pic.twitter.com/crBBlIf3Ld

— Teejay🇳🇬💎🌺(imavov is sleeping in 3 days) (@casualufcfan) January 27, 2025

Adesanya vs Imavov Betting Trends

Here are some UFC betting trends to consider before placing a wager on this fight:

• Adesanya hasn’t fought in a non-title bout since 2019
• Imavov has never defeated a top-5-ranked middleweight
• Imavov lost 2 of his first 5 UFC bouts
• Adesanya is a former two-time middleweight champion

Adesanya vs Imavov: Prediction and Expert Pick

During Imavov’s initial two UFC bouts, he could barely survive three rounds without gasping for air. We have watched his cardio look more impressive since then; however, even in his UFC successes, he’s lost a lot of rounds and doesn’t seem to put his foot on the gas when necessary.

Now, opposite a former champion who’s a proven five-round fighter with high striking output and respectable cardio, I don’t see many paths to victory for the underdog outside of a grappling game plan. That sounds cute, but I equally don’t have faith in Imavov’s cardio to wrestle to victory in 3 of the 5 rounds, and with the current UFC odds giving us -160 on Adesanya’s moneyline, it’s either a trap or gift price, we’re getting this weekend.

I’ll go with the latter. Faith in Adesanya has dropped, and that’s reflected in BetUS Sportsbook’s moneyline pricing. However, it would seem everyone is too quick to forget who we’re dealing with here, as I believe the former king of the middleweights still has plenty left in the tank and certainly enough to defeat an unproven contender.

Bet This Pic: Israel Adesanya Moneyline (-160)

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets

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