Nassourdine Imavov is itching for a rematch. He’s got his sights set on Sean Strickland after clinching a majority decision win over Roman Dolidze. This showdown lit up the main event at UFC Fight Night 235.
On the canvas, Imavov’s striking game was on point. Dolidze, hailing from Georgia, kept things interesting with his clinch game. Yet, a hiccup occurred in the fourth round—a penalty for an illegal kick by Imavov. This twist made the scorecards tighter than many anticipated.
Post-fight, Imavov was all about gratitude. He showered thanks on his team, calling out for a second dance with Strickland. Strickland had handed him a defeat back in January 2023.
He shared, “The fight camp was absolutely good.” He didn’t forget to mention his corner, from Nicholas Ott to his brother, Daguir Imavov. “But regarding my performance and my next fight, I wanna fight against Sean Strickland.”
Their previous encounter was a bit impromptu. Imavov stepped in for Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Fight Night 217. Strickland snagged a win in that light heavyweight bout. He even nabbed the middleweight title from Israel Adesanya at UFC 293, though his reign was brief, ending at UFC 297.
A controversial moment came when Imavov landed an illegal strike on Dolidze. Chris Curtis, in Dolidze’s corner and not exactly a fan of Imavov, was visibly agitated. The tension escalated, with referee Herb Dean stepping in to cool things down.
Imavov and Curtis had their own history. Their UFC 289 match ended in a no contest after an accidental head clash. Imavov expressed his frustration at the post-fight press conference, calling out Curtis for his sideline chatter.
“I was upset because the guy Chris Curtis keeps talking in every fight he’s cornering,” Imavov vented. He wished for Curtis to focus on his corner duties and let him fight in peace.