Israel Adesanya opens up about facing Nassourdine Imavov on 'a smaller stage'

Israel adesanya He is a former UFC champion. Photo: Reproduction/UFC Europe

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Escalated to face Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia, Israel adesanya finds himself out of the title race for the first time in years. Although he is accustomed to the spotlight of a pay-per-view, the former middleweight champion (up to 83,9kg) believes that it will not affect his performance.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Adesanya stated that fighting in a Fight Night is no different for him, as what matters is being in the octagon, with a referee and an audience, regardless of the event. The former champion emphasized that, although it is the biggest fight of Imavov's career, his mentality remains the same, and he is focused on stopping his opponent's rise.

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“I still get paid. There’s still a referee, it’s just the two of us in there, there’s an audience. It’s a Fight Night in Saudi Arabia, it’s not like the Apex or anything like that, so it doesn’t feel any different. I think people are making it seem like something they would feel, but they’re not in my shoes. They’re not in my shorts. It still feels like you’re fighting against Israel adesanya. This is the biggest fight of his life. I have to be the one to stop this. It still feels the same. It doesn't feel any different," Adesanya said.

Israel adesanya participated in 14 consecutive pay-per-view events. The first was his knockout victory over Derek Brunson at UFC 230, and his last appearance in a numbered event was his defeat by submission all with Dricus Du Plessis No. UFC 305, in Australia.