Whittaker Predicts Israel Adesanya Will Defeat Nassourdine Imavov

• Robert Whittaker believes Israel Adesanya will defeat Nassourdine Imavov, despite recognizing Imavov’s strengths.
• Whittaker compares Imavov’s fighting style to Dricus Du Plessis, noting the potential for Imavov to push the pace and create pressure.
• Adesanya aims to bounce back from consecutive losses in his first non-PPV UFC appearance in six years, with a potential clash against Khamzat Chimaev on the horizon.

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has expressed his belief that Israel Adesanya will defeat Nassourdine Imavov in their upcoming non-pay-per-view fight in Saudi Arabia.

Eko Hot Blog reports that in an interview with MMArcade, Whittaker, who has faced Adesanya twice, shared his perspective on why he thinks the Nigerian fighter will come out on top, despite recognizing Imavov’s impressive abilities.

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“I’d have to lean into Izzy being the favourite. He’s so good at what he does. But Imavov’s a bit of a dog—he can go the distance,” Whittaker said.

“His striking is good, and I can see him pushing the pace, pushing the pressure to try to make Adesanya make errors, much like how Dricus (Du Plessis) fought him.”

The bout will be Adesanya’s first non-PPV UFC appearance in six years, as he aims to recover from back-to-back losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis in 2024.

Whittaker, who also faced Du Plessis, drew parallels between Imavov and the South African champion.

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“Is Imavov as tanky as Dricus? Because I think Dricus made a really good blueprint on how to beat Adesanya—make him uncomfortable. I think Imavov’s got the skill set to do that, but I’d still lean on Izzy being the favourite,” he added.

Victory for Adesanya could set up a potential clash with Khamzat Chimaev, who impressed the Nigerian with his recent win over Whittaker.

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