Strickland rematch ‘extra thrilling than the belt’

Nassourdine Imavov thinks he’s completed sufficient to earn a title shot, however there’s one struggle he’d prioritize.

Imavov (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) stifled Brendan Allen’s (24-6 MMA, 12-3 UFC) grappling en path to a unanimous choice win in Saturday’s UFC Battle Night time 243 co-main occasion at Accor Area.

“In fact, the next goes to be to struggle for the belt, but when the belt shouldn’t be right here, I wish to preserve being busy, and I wish to struggle anybody in entrance of me within the rankings,” Imavov mentioned via an interpreter through the post-fight information convention.

If a title shot isn’t subsequent for Imavov, he has his eyes on a rematch with Sean Strickland – the final fighter to beat him.

“In fact, it might be an incredible pleasure for me to do it,” Imavov mentioned. “It’s much more thrilling than the belt to struggle in opposition to Strickland and to take my revenge.”

If Strickland finally ends up getting his title-fight rematch with champion Dricus Du Plessis, Imavov is joyful to struggle one other former champion in Israel Adesanya.

“I’ve seen loads of media speaking about it,” Imavov mentioned on Adesanya. “It could be an incredible pleasure to go in opposition to him, and I believe it might be an incredible struggle.”

Imavov was joyful to beat Allen in his personal sport. Though he spent the whole Spherical 1 flat on his again, he wished to show his floor sport is elite, too.

“I wished to indicate that my BJJ brown belt that I received from MK Group shouldn’t be nothing,” Imavov mentioned. “It’s essential to me so, I wished to indicate that my floor sport is excellent, and since I did a small mistake within the first spherical, he held me on the bottom the entire spherical, I wished to indicate my wrestling, grappling expertise within the subsequent two rounds.”

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC Battle Night time 243.