Nassourdine Imavov not letting up on Sean Strickland title fight: "When the official date drops, you'll all know"
Nassourdine Imavov is certain he'll be the next contender in line for a middleweight title shot, no matter how much he claims Sean Strickland tries to avoid him.
Nassourdine Imavov has been campaigning for a UFC middleweight title shot for some time now. He is unbeaten in his last six fights and does not believe anyone else is more deserving. He previously called on Sean Strickland, the newly minted two-time middleweight champion to face him, and is now ramping up his callouts.
Nassourdine Imavov believes a title shot is inevitable
Nassourdine Imavov is among the three fighters who are most likely to face Sean Strickland for the middleweight title. The other two are Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis. However, the Dagestani-born Frenchman believes he should be next in line, and while Strickland seems more interested in a rematch with Chimaev, Imavov has asserted that the UFC will do right by him, and that Strickland himself already knows they'll be facing each other.
"I'm not gonna respond every time that drunk opens his mouth. Real MMA fans know. UFC knows. HE KNOWS! Keep the act going. When the official date drops, you'll all know. Nobody escapes their destiny."
I’m not gonna respond every time that drunk opens his mouth. Real MMA fans know. @ufc knows. HE KNOWS! Keep the act going. When the official date drops, you’ll all know.
— Imavov Nassourdine (@imavov1) July 31, 2026
Nobody escapes their destiny.
Despite talk surrounding a possible rematch between Strickland and Chimaev, the latter has done nothing to deserve an immediate title bout. He was not a long-reigning champion and failed to successfully defend the middleweight belt at all, losing it to Strickland in his first attempt. Furthermore, he has not fought since his split-decision loss to Strickland at UFC 328. Meanwhile, du Plessis, who has twice beaten Strickland, is coming off a one-sided unanimous decision win over Kamaru Usman at UFC Fight Night 281, though it is his first win since his prior loss to Chimaev.
By contrast, Imavov is on a five-fight win streak and unbeaten in six fights. His last two wins include a unanimous decision against Caio Borralho at UFC Fight Night 258, and a second-round TKO of Israel Adesanya at UFC Fight Night 250. His case for a title shot is strong, and he is more than eager for it, especially considering that Strickland is the last person to beat him, having done so via unanimous decision in a light heavyweight bout at UFC Fight Night 217.
