Fight Coverage
Main Event Spotlight | UFC Louisville
Get A Closer Look At The Two Men On The Marquee At UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Imavov In Louisville, Kentucky
It’s a big month for the middleweight division, as we come off the heels of UFC 302: Makhachev vs Poirier, where Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa faced off. Another big matchup is set to happen in Saudi Arabia later this month with Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev.
Saturday’s bout in Louisville, Kentucky pins Jared Cannonier against Nassourdine Imavov in a fight with more big implications surrounding it, as both athletes look for their chance to make a run for the title.
Let’s take an in-depth look at this middleweight bout.
Saturday's Full Fight Card Preview
Jared Cannonier
When it comes to experience, there is no question that “Tha Killa Gorilla” has more of it in the UFC. The 40-year-old made his UFC debut back in 2015 and has experience spread across three different weight classes: heavyweight, light heavyweight and, of course, middleweight.
Since making his middleweight debut in 2018, Cannonier has gone 7-2, with his only losses coming against former middleweight champions Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya. He comes into the matchup against France’s Nassourdine Imavov on a two-fight win streak, securing victories over Sean Strickland and Marvin Vettori. This weekend’s bout will mark Cannonier’s sixth headliner, only losing once under the main event lights.
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Cannonier has been a part of some exciting matchups inside the Octagon, with two Fight of the Night and four Performance of the Night bonuses to back that statement up. He etched his name in the history books during his last fight with Vettori in June of last year, as he had the most significant strikes landed in a UFC middleweight fight, with 241 significant strikes. He has secured 10 of his 17 wins by knockout and two by submission, but the brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has never been submitted before in his career.
Nassourdine Imavov
This fight against Cannonier marks Imavov’s second of the year, as well as his second main event this year. Back in February, the 29-year-old defeated Roman Dolidze by majority decision. That fight got Imavov back in the win column, after he suffered a no contest against Chris Curtis at UFC 289, which came on the heels of his loss to Strickland in his first main event a few months prior.
The fight against Strickland took place in the light heavyweight division, after Imavov’s original opponent, Kelvin Gastelum, withdrew from the bout on short notice. Prior to making his UFC debut back in 2020, Imavov spent time competing at 170 pounds in various promotions across Europe.
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Looking at things from a statistical perspective, Imavov has an overall record of 13-4. Having never been knocked out in his career thus far, Imavov has five knockouts and four submission victories, and he has only lost by submission one time.
Meeting In The Middle
With Cannonier currently sitting at No. 4 in the rankings and Imavov at No. 7, a victory on Saturday is crucial for the winner’s standing in the division and potential future at 185 pounds.
Cannonier vs Imavov Main Event Preview | UFC Louisville
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Cannonier vs Imavov Main Event Preview | UFC Louisville
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Although, Imavov is taller opponent by four inches, “Tha Killa Gorilla” has a two-inch reach advantage. The two are nearly identical when it comes to striking accuracy (52% for Cannonier, 54.2% for Imavov) and strikes landed per minute (4.68 v 4.53). But Cannonier’s bout against Vettori shows how dangerous he can get when the strikes start flowing.
Imavov has a higher takedown defense than Cannonier at 63% compared to 76%, but considering Imavov has only been submitted once before and Cannonier has never been submitted, expect this fight to stay on the feet for majority of the matchup and be an exciting fight for the fans inside the KFC! Yum Center on Saturday night.
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Imavov took place live from KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky on June 8, 2024. See the final Prelims & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
