Quick-notice alternative, Sean Strickland, will sq. off reverse rising contender, Nassourdine Imavov, this Saturday (Jan. 14, 2023) at UFC Vegas 67 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Imavov joined the roster in 2020, a uncommon European prospect picked up within the midst of the pandemic. Although he confirmed off a little bit of inexperience initially, he shortly started to showcase the sharp boxing that has led to his present three-fight win streak. The younger prospect — not precisely a typical label at 185 kilos — is bettering shortly, and he’s proven the bodily instruments and technical abilities to develop into a consider his division’s title image.
Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at his talent set:
Hanging
A boxer since his youth, Imavov fights out of Paris’ MMA Manufacturing unit. Certainly, there’s a bit of little bit of Ciryl Gane to his side-on stance and bouncy footwork, however Imavov makes use of that type of motion for a really totally different objective.
Not like his group mate, Imavov doesn’t look to handle vary and decide his foe aside with kicks. As an alternative, he depends on the bounciness of his stance to shortly spring ahead along with his palms. He’ll sometimes throw a snap kick or swap Southpaw and blast the physique along with his left leg, however principally, Imavov’s distance weapon is the jab.
Imavov tends to maintain his lead hand a bit prolonged, nearer to his opponent than his personal chin. He’s a giant Middleweight, in a position to depend on pulling again to keep away from photographs somewhat than blocking extra typically than a smaller man. As such, he’s in a position to keep secure defensively and quicken his jab by lessening the quantity of distance the shot has to cowl.
Since Imavov already has quick palms, that makes his jab an particularly nasty, snapping strike (GIF).
Imavov doesn’t simply hold again and jab, nevertheless. He’s an aggressive fighter, and his means to boring his opponents’ senses with feints combines along with his pace to make a harmful mixture. Typically, Imavov is exhibiting a whole lot of steps ahead (with or with out the jab). Then, he’ll all of a sudden spring ahead, closing an additional little bit of distance with a tough one-two mixture or hook-cross.
Imavov is kind of keen to crash ahead behind the suitable hand. He’s snug and violent within the clinch, in a position to lengthen his mixtures with a tough knee from shut quarters (GIF). On the entire, Imavov does properly at shut distance. Any time opponents wish to wrestle him, Imavov does properly in first securing head place, driving his brow into his opponent’s jaw earlier than then breaking with an elbow.
There are some downsides to Imavov’s type. Notably, he’s stepping in deep behind his proper hand fairly often, which might get him countered. Extra typically, nevertheless, Imavov’s lead leg is getting chopped up. His tall stance and barely inward lead leg depart him susceptible to the low kick, as does his propensity for jabbing. All of his latest opponents have successfully attacked his left leg, however to this point, Imavov has nonetheless been in a position to shut distance and land sufficient punches to remain forward.
Wrestling
Imavov’s first UFC loss got here all the way down to wrestling. He touched up Phil Hawes and had him harm late within the struggle, however within the first two rounds, Hawes was in a position to repeatedly sluggish Imavov down alongside the fence after which drive him to the canvas.
Many anticipated Heinisch, an achieved wrestler himself, to have the ability to discover comparable success. As an alternative, Imavov confirmed his enhancements. A part of that got here all the way down to establishing his punches extra successfully, as Heinisch wasn’t in a position to simply time his proper hand with double legs. Alongside the fence, Imavov did a greater job of spreading his base and pulling Heinisch up into the clinch, the place his head place and elbows have been stable protection.
It was merely higher work from the prospect.
Offensively, Imavov is certainly keen to combine takedowns into his assault. Since he tends to be backing opponents into the fence and stepping ahead along with his proper hand anyway, the double leg alongside the cage is a pure addition. It’s not sophisticated, however Imavov is a robust fighter with a formidable boxing recreation — his opponents need to cowl up at the least a bit below fireplace!
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Imavov has completed 4 of his fights through tapout.
Contained in the Octagon, he’s made robust use of the guillotine choke. Particularly, he used a number of variations of the strangle to thwart Heinisch’s takedown makes an attempt. When Heinisch took his head to the surface on his single leg shot, Imavov attacked with the high-elbow guillotine. Twice, he was in a position to severely threaten Heinisch, forcing him to fall to his again on one event.
When Heinisch stored his head on the within — possible as a counter measure to the high-elbow guillotine — Imavov as an alternative attacked with the ninja choke. Utilizing his forearm to border the throat, Imavov used his opponent’s ahead stress to drop Heinisch’s chin into the criminal of his elbow. From there, Imavov would assault with the rear bare choke grip, once more forcing Heinisch to the ground in backside place.
Outdoors of the guillotine, Imavov has hunted for the rear bare choke on a pair events contained in the Octagon. As well as, he did properly to entice Edmen Shahbazyan in a prime facet crucifix, the place elbows secured him a second-round stoppage win.
Conclusion
Imavov faces an attention-grabbing type match up right here, a striker very keen to go toe-to-toe for nevertheless lengthy this struggle lasts. It’s a pure conflict of jabbers and 1-2ers, although Imavov’s pace will probably be pitted in opposition to Strickland’s defensive savvy. If the French prospect can pull by, he’s going to leap up the rankings considerably.
Andrew Richardson, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, is an expert fighter who trains at Crew Alpha Male in Sacramento, California. Along with studying alongside world-class expertise, Andrew has scouted opponents and developed profitable methods for a number of of the game’s most elite fighters.
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