UFC fighter Israel Adesanya has lost a shocking knockout to challenger Nassourdine Imavov in the second round of their main event fight at UFC Fight Night 250. The loss came as a result of Imavov’s quick thinking and finishing instincts, according to Adesanya’s striking coach, Mike Angove.
In the opening minute of Round 2, Adesanya claimed he was poked in the eye but opted not to take a timeout, allowing Imavov to capitalize on the mistake. A big right hand from Imavov caught Adesanya off guard just seconds later, followed by a left hook against the cage that led to the referee stopping the fight at 0:30.
Angove credited Imavov’s team for recognizing and exploiting the mistake made by Adesanya and his team. “The name of the game is particularly in small gloves,” Angove said. “You can’t make mistakes.” He praised Imavov for his ability to jump on the mistake, but also acknowledged that Adesanya’s desire to keep pressure on led to him being caught off guard.
When asked if the inadvertent eye poke from Imavov had an impact on the fight-ending sequence, Angove said it did not. “He just got clipped in the eye,” he explained. “It does put you off momentarily, but he could see clearly enough when it came to reset.”
The loss serves as a reminder that experience and skill are key in MMA, and even the best fighters can make mistakes in high-pressure situations.
Source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2025/02/ufc-saudi-arabia-israel-adesanya-coach-reaction-opinion-made-mistake-vs-nassourdine-imavov