Nassourdine Imavov believes the UFC middleweight title picture is clear and in his eyes, he should be next in line.
Following Sean Strickland’s dominant finish over Anthony Hernandez in the UFC Houston main event, debates immediately started about who deserves the next crack at champion Khamzat Chimaev. While many pundits suggested Strickland could leapfrog the division, Imavov made it clear he completely disagrees with that narrative.
The surging contender, currently riding a five-fight win streak, insists his résumé speaks louder than hype.
“Yes, of course I heard it a little bit, but it means nothing to me,” Imavov said. “Strickland is coming off a loss against Dricus du Plessis, then he wins one fight against Hernandez, whose best win was Roman Dolidze, a guy I already beat four fights ago. And after one victory he gets the belt? For me, it makes no sense.”
Imavov stressed that title opportunities should be earned through consistent performances rather than personality or promotional momentum.
“At the end of the day, it remains sport,” he said. “Of course there is entertainment around it, but it remains sport. It’s not because a guy has a big mouth that he can jump everyone. No one in this division deserves the title more than me.”
The French contender pointed directly to his recent activity inside the Octagon as proof. Over the past 18 months, Imavov has defeated multiple ranked opponents while staying active, something he believes separates him from the rest of the division.
“I don’t repeat it enough,” Imavov said. “I have a five-fight win streak against three top-10 opponents and two top-five opponents in less than 18 months. Nobody did that before. My next fight should be for the title and nothing else.”
Despite fan momentum building behind a potential Strickland vs. Chimaev matchup, Imavov believes that fight would be one-sided if it actually happens.
“If it happens, we all know the result,” he explained. “He will take him down and choke him out in the first round. Maybe the buildup will be great with trash talk, but the fight itself will end very quickly.”
Imavov then challenged fans to consider whether entertainment value should outweigh competitive merit.
“What do you guys want?” he asked. “Someone speaking a lot and then no fight? Or two strong fighters who respect each other but create a war inside the cage? Me against him would be huge. No one wants to lose, and I’m here to bring a real challenge.”
Even with his focus firmly on championship gold, Imavov admitted there is one fight that still fuels him emotionally, a rematch with Sean Strickland.
The two previously met at UFC Vegas 67 in January 2023, where Strickland won a short-notice light heavyweight bout. According to Imavov, that version of himself no longer exists.
“For two years I’ve asked the UFC for this guy,” Imavov said. “I don’t make excuses about short notice or weight class, but it was not the real Nassourdine Imavov. The fighter you see now is completely different.”
Imavov revealed that his callout after UFC Houston was intentional, especially amid rumors that Chimaev could move up to light heavyweight.
“It was a proposal,” he said. “Because it can be a very big fight. I don’t talk much, but this guy, I really hate him. Outside the cage it will be fireworks. Inside the cage, it will be World War. One of us will finish unconscious.”
While many contenders focus on specific opponents, Imavov insists his ultimate goal remains unchanged regardless of who holds the belt.
“I’m only focused on the belt, not the owner of the belt,” he said. “I told the UFC clearly: the only fight I want is for the belt. I’m not here for awareness or money. I’m here for the belt.”
Still, when asked to choose between revenge against Strickland or a title fight with Chimaev, Imavov admitted emotion might win over logic.
“If the UFC calls me tomorrow,” he said, “of course it will be Sean Strickland. I want to erase this defeat. I don’t like the way he speaks, I don’t like the way he thinks, and I want to beat him. Both fights would be wars, but with Sean, it’s personal.”
As the UFC middleweight division waits for clarity in the Paramount era, one thing is certain: Nassourdine Imavov believes his path leads directly to championship gold and he has no intention of accepting anything less.
