Nassourdine Imavov makes statement on Palestine after stopping Jared Cannonier at UFC Louisville: "I'm not here to celebrate tonight"

UFC middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov wished peace upon the war-ravaged regions of the world following his UFC Louisville win. Imavov was speaking in the octagon interview when he shared his thoughts on the issue.

The French fighter defeated No.4-ranked middleweight Jared Cannonier in the UFC Louisville main event. Cannonier had a strong start to the fight and gave different looks with a sustained leg-kicking attack, effective jabs, and clinch work. However, Imavov figured out the range and timing as the fight progressed.

As the fight appeared to be going at a fixed rhythm, a check right hook from Imavov in Round 4 rattled Cannonier's chin. The fight was stopped after a few follow-up shots as Cannonier could not recover or respond effectively.

This was by far the biggest win of Imavov's professional MMA career. However, the French fighter refused to celebrate the victory and drew attention to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict in the octagon interview:

"Of course, I might be victorious, especially against a guy like Jared Cannonier who's never been stopped in the division. I'm not here to celebrate tonight because there is war around the world, there are children dying. There are oppressed people in Congo, in Palestine and I want to put as much energy as I can for them and I would like some peace for them."

Check out Nassourdine Imavov's comments below (4:55):

The dispute between Israel and Palestine is one of the most complex geopolitical issues in the world. While there has been constant tension in the region for several decades, the conflict escalated after the October 7 attack on Israel and has claimed thousands of lives so far.

Many prominent UFC fighters like Islam Makhachev, Belal Muhammad, and Khamzat Chimaev have also used the UFC platform to talk about the issue in recent times.