"Imavov (17-4) was scheduled to fight Kelvin Gastelum in 2023. However, Strickland replaced an injured Gastelum on five days' notice. Strickland (29-7) went on to score a unanimous decision win over Imavov."
"Make no mistakes, under normal conditions, I'll crush this guy! Mark my words. https://t.co/WSagz5cIum - Imavov Nassourdine (@imavov1) February 16, 2026"
"Meanwhile, Imavov is undefeated in six straight outings since his loss against Strickland. With wins over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, Adesanya and Caio Borralho, Imavov is widely considered the frontrunner for the next middleweight title shot against Khamzat Chimaev, who dethroned Du Plessis last year."
Imavov was originally scheduled to face Kelvin Gastelum in 2023, but Sean Strickland stepped in on five days' notice and won a unanimous decision over Imavov. Strickland later captured the middleweight title with an upset over Israel Adesanya, lost the belt to Dricus Du Plessis, then split subsequent results with wins and losses. Strickland is set to headline UFC Houston against Anthony Hernandez while the promotion posted highlights praising Strickland's forward pressure. Imavov responded that under normal conditions he would have crushed Strickland and has since recorded six straight wins, positioning him as a leading contender for the next title shot.
Read at Sherdog
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