Head coach Eugene Bareman wasn’t kidding when he said Israel Adesanya was undergoing “drastic” changes for his middleweight return against Nassourdine Imavov, which tops the UFC Saudi Arabia fight card on Sat., Feb. 1, 2025 inside The Venue in Riyadh.
Adesanya, 35, recently revealed one of his “new friends” for 2025: former UFC middleweight champion and longtime 185-pound rival Robert Whittaker. “The Last Stylebender” defeated “The Reaper” by technical knockout at UFC 243, then prevailed a second time in a much closer fight after their UFC 271 rematch.
Adesanya (24-4) is coming off back-to-back losses to Sean Strickland and current champion Dricus Du Plessis and will compete in his first non-title bout in over five years. As for Imavov (15-4, 1 NC), now ranked in the Top 5 at 185 pounds, he’s looking to capture his fourth straight win after disposing of Brendan Allen at UFC Paris last September.
The still-healing Whittaker (26-8) remains unbooked following a submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev last October in Abu Dhabi.
