Nassourdine Imavov [Getty Images]
Nassourdine Imavov [Getty Images]

Nassourdine Imavov says the UFC has informed him that his next fight will be a middleweight title bout.

In a recent interview with MMA content creator Zayden Cable, Imavov said, "My next fight is for the championship belt," adding that while he had wanted to fight Dricus Du Plessis to stay sharp, the UFC told him he would be competing for the title instead.

"Once the Hamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland fight is done, I will 100 percent be fighting for the championship belt," he said.

If his account is accurate, reigning champion Strickland would face Chimaev — the man he defeated to claim the title — in an immediate rematch, with Imavov then taking on the winner for the belt.

The comments do not constitute an official matchmaking announcement. They reflect Imavov's own account of where he stands in the title picture. He also noted that he had wanted to fight Du Plessis before the UFC told him to wait, suggesting Du Plessis remains in the middleweight contender mix as well.

Imavov and Strickland have met before. The two fought at light heavyweight in January 2023 after a last-minute schedule change, with Strickland winning by unanimous decision.

The middleweight title has since changed hands multiple times, passing through Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis and Hamzat Chimaev before returning to Strickland.

Imavov holds a 17-4 MMA record and a 9-2 mark in the UFC. He has not competed since stopping Caio Borralho at a UFC Fight Night last September to extend his winning streak to five. In that stretch, he has consistently proven his credentials at the top of the division, including a win over Adesanya.

On the strength of that run, Imavov views himself not merely as a title candidate but as the next challenger. Whether the UFC follows through on what he says he was told remains to be seen.


yjc@heraldcorp.com