‘Wow’: Controversy as Israel Adesanya knock out leaves career in pieces
Jaws have dropped around the MMA world with former champ Israel Adesanya’s career left in disarray after a brutal KO defeat.
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Israel Adesanya is in middleweight limbo after a shock KO defeat to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia on Sunday morning.
The former two-time middleweight champion was knocked down with a brutal hook just seconds into the second round — and referee Marc Goddard was forced to stop the fight when Imavov jumped on the Kiwi fighter with a barrage of punches on the ground.
However, there was controversy to start the round with Adesanya complaining he had been poked in the eye. The TV footage showed his claims were correct.
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However, instead of taking the 10 seconds allowed to recover from the poke, Adesanya told Goddard he was ready to continue.
He was on the canvas just seconds later.
“Wow. Imavov TKOs Adesanya in the second,” leading MMA journalist Ariel Helwani posted on X.
“But not without some controversy. Izzy got poked, told Goddard he was good and didn’t take any time, 10 seconds later he gets dropped with a right and loses.”
He stressed there were no issues with Imavov’s TKO win, but also said Adesanya made a bad mistake.
“The controversy, for lack of a better word, is Izzy probably should have taken a second to regroup after the poke. But it was his call to keep going right away. Has to live with it,” he wrote.
Adesanya’s back was well and truly up against the wall following consecutive losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis, The Sun reports.
But the favourite failed to stop the rot as Dagestani-born Frenchman Imavov picked up the biggest win of his career via a stunning second-round KO loss.
“One shot to kill a legend. That was unbelievable,” commentator John Gooden said in reaction to Chimaev’s KO strike.
Imavov said after the win. “I feel so good. I said it all week long, I was in perfect shape. I proved I was the better striker. Now the real bonus for me is going to be fighting for the belt. I promised you a special surprise tonight. That was the surprise.”
Adesanya was light on his feet from the get-go and landed a series of hard low kicks that rattled the lead leg of Imavov.
Imavov, however, was undeterred and continued to plod forward.
And he put himself in range to land a stiff shovel hook that snapped back the head of the former champion.
Adesanya ate a huge right hand a minute and a half before the end of the round but took it well.
But he didn’t take the same shot as well shortly after the restart, crumpling to the canvas.
Imavov followed up with a huge left uppercut and a barrage of ground-and-pound that forced referee Goddard to wave off the contest.
Everyone in attendance at the AnB arena - including Cristiano Ronaldo — was left gobsmacked by the finish.
Adesanya himself cut a stunned figure as the harsh reality of the stoppage started to sink in.
He tried to hide it, but he was clearly crestfallen at his third defeat on the trot.
But he showed his class by sticking around to praise Imavov for the biggest victory of his career.
Three defeats in his last four have well and truly put Adesanya out of the title picture.
MMA fans around the world are now eagerly awaiting his next move.
Speculation has already begun about Adesanya’s future in the sport.
“Not much left for Adesanya to do in this sport, but it’s always important to remember that he is basically always two straight wins away from a title shot in a shallow middleweight division,” fight commentator Aaron Bronsteter
think the story continues...
Originally published as ‘Wow’: Controversy as Israel Adesanya knock out leaves career in pieces
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