Israel Adesanya may find himself in "wildly difficult spot" against Nassourdine Imavov, says UFC veteran: "What do I want it for? What's this about?"

UFC veteran points out that Adesanya(left) might be fine athletically in the early rounds of his bout against Nassourdine Imavov(right) [Image sourced Via UFC.com] — UFC veteran breaks down Israel Adesanya (left) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (right). [Image courtesy: ufc.com]

Israel Adesanya is set to face Nassourdine Imavov this weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This bout marks Adesanya's return to the octagon after back-to-back losses, and a former UFC fighter has weighed in on the challenges the former champion might encounter.

Adesanya, once a dominant force in the middleweight division, has picked up two major losses in his last two bouts, losing his title to Sean Strickland in 2023 and a subsequent submission defeat to Dricus du Plessis. Imavov, conversely, is on a three-fight winning streak, positioning himself as a rising contender in the middleweight ranks.

On the Good Guy / Bad Guy podcast alongside fellow Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen discussed the mental and physical challenges 'The Last Stylebender' might face in this upcoming matchup. He emphasized the importance of Adesanya's determination, stating:

"From an athletic standpoint, Izzy could be fine for 10, 11, 12 minutes if this was a three-round fight; Izzy, just on his skill, is very likely to get over. But when you start to hit that 18-minute, hit that 21-minute, 22-minute point in the fight, you are going to be faced with a question: How bad do I want it? And when you try to produce that answer with yourself, you're going to have a follow-up question, which is, what do I want it for? What is this about?"

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The former title challenger added:

"And I only suggest for you that Izzy is in a wildly difficult spot, and I really respect what he's going through mentally to push right through as though this was a world title fight like he's accustomed to."

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below:

Israel Adesanya weighs in on UFC 313 main event

Israel Adesanya has commented on the UFC 313 main event bout between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev. Adesanya has notably shared the octagon and the kickboxing ring with Pereira, and the duo now share mutual respect.

Scheduled for March 8th at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas, UFC 313 will see Pereira defending the light heavyweight title against top-ranked contender Ankalaev. 'Poatan', renowned for his striking prowess, has successfully defended his belt three times. Ankalaev, on the other hand, is a formidable 205-pounder riding an impressive 11-fight unbeaten streak.

When asked about the UFC 313 championship bout during media day ahead of UFC Saudi Arabia, Adesanya simply expressed his endorsement of Pereira, saying: