Nassourdine Imavov is aware of he’ll be the underdog if he fights Khamzat Chimaev. If that does transform the case, it’s precisely the form of scenario he likes to be in.
Following a five-round determination win over Caio Borralho in Saturday’s UFC Paris essential occasion, Imavov appeared on the ESPN post-fight present the place he stated he welcomed the percentages being towards him ought to he be granted the possibility to problem Chimaev for the middleweight title.
“It suits me very nicely. I prefer to be the underdog,” Imavov stated. “Once I’m the underdog, I do the most effective efficiency.”
Imavov isn’t assured a championship alternative, with fellow contenders Reinier de Ridder and Anthony Hernandez set to sq. off at UFC Vancouver on Oct. 18, and longtime Chimaev rival Paulo Costa additionally ready within the wings (and rumored to be going through Shara Magomedov at UFC Qatar). However he’s ready to get the decision to be Chimaev’s first title protection after the undefeated Chechnyan took the belt from Dricus du Plessis this previous August.
Nobody has been capable of cease Chimaev’s relentless wrestling, however Imavov believes in his personal talents. In spite of everything, he’s heard this track earlier than.
“Individuals stated that towards [Israel] Adesanya, he was the most effective striker on this planet and that I couldn’t combat with him, however I knocked him out on the ft,” Imavov stated on the night’s post-fight press convention. “This man Caio, I didn’t need to combat towards him, however I did it. He was coming from a 10-year run of victories, 16 victories and 7 victories within the UFC. I fought him, I received each spherical, and as soon as once more I proved that I’m the most effective. For me, there isn’t any dialogue that I’m [not] going to combat for the belt.”
Not solely did Imavov hand Borralho his first UFC loss, he did so coping with a lingering damage. Imavov was requested how banged up he was popping out of the combat and he admitted he needed to regulate his successful efficiency on the fly.
“It occurred in the course of the combat, however I had the damage for 10 days or one thing like that,” Imavov stated. “It was bothering me increasingly more in the course of the rounds and what occurred is my fashion, particularly towards somebody like Caio, you want to have the ability to transfer quick to be able to catch him and I couldn’t do this so I needed to keep in the identical place and work somewhat bit extra on my slipping talents to be able to hold successful the boxing exchanges.”
