UFC Saudi Arabia: Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov: Full results

UFC Saudi Arabia wrapped up on Feb. 1 at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, featuring 11 fights across 7 weight classes. This marked the UFC's second event in Saudi Arabia, following its inaugural show in June 2024. This article recaps the fights and explores UFC Saudi Arabia full results.

In the main event, former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya faced No. 5-ranked Nassourdine Imavov. It was Adesanya's first non-title fight since February 2019 and his first Fight Night appearance since July 2018.

Imavov, who came in on a three-fight win streak, most recently defeated Brendan Allen by unanimous decision in September 2024. The fight highlighted the old guard versus the new guard dynamic as Imavov is considered one of the rising contenders of the next generation of middleweight fighters.

Imavov pressed forward and employed a grappling-heavy strategy early in the fight. However, Adesanya successfully denied the takedowns and launched diverse attacks targeting his opponent’s head, body, and legs.

Despite failing to bring the fight to the ground, Imavov persisted, likely to keep Adesanya focused on defense. While Adesanya looked sharp in the opening seconds of Round 2, a powerful overhand right from Imavov sent him crashing against the cage.

Imavov followed up with a left uppercut, knocking the former champion out, and then pounded him with several more strikes. Referee Marc Goddard quickly intervened to stop the action. The fight concluded at the 0:30 mark of Round 2, with Imavov being declared the winner by knockout.

In the co-main event, Dagestan's Sharaputdin Magomedov faced Michael 'Venom' Page, marking Page's debut in the UFC middleweight division after a 1-1 record in welterweight since 2024. Known for their striking skills, both fighters were expected to deliver an exciting matchup.

Page quickly took control of the fight, utilizing strong movements and effective leg kicks against Magomedov. Although both engaged in a tactical standoff, Page's explosive attacks and accuracy won over the crowd.

Magomedov struggled to find clean strikes and couldn’t effectively counter Page’s speed. In the final moments, Page fell after a failed spinning back kick, letting Magomedov take the top position to end the round.

In the end, the judges scored the fight in Page's favor, declaring him the winner by unanimous decision (30-27 X 2, 29-28), marking him as the first fighter to defeat Magomedov in professional MMA.

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UFC Saudi Arabia: Main card results

In a heavyweight clash, No. 4-ranked Sergei Pavlovich faced No. 9-ranked Jairzinho Rozenstruik in a three-round contest, showcasing Pavlovich’s reach and power against Rozenstruik’s kickboxing skills.

The fight started cautiously, with Rozenstruik using leg kicks to keep Pavlovich at bay. Pavlovich, the larger fighter, focused on landing powerful head strikes. After an accidental trip sent them both to the ground, Pavlovich capitalized with ground-and-pound strikes until the end of Round 1, although Rozenstruik managed to limit his damage.

The inactivity of the contest drew negative reactions from fans by Round 2. A right hook from Pavlovich prompted a response from Rozenstruik, leading them to the ground again, where Pavlovich continued landing strikes from the top position.

In Round 3, a left hand from Pavlovich stunned Rozenstruik, allowing him to complete a takedown. Pavlovich then focused on powerful strikes from the top. Rozenstruik eventually got back on his feet, and they exchanged a few strikes in the closing moments, though they had little impact.

Pavlovich, who landed the more impactful strikes and controlled Rozenstruik for a considerable amount of time, secured a unanimous decision victory to get back in the win column.

Highly touted bantamweight contenders Said Nurmagomedov and Vinicius Oliveira fought on the UFC Saudi Arabia main card to further their quest to the top. The bout marked Nurmagomedov's first competitive appearance since defeating Muin Gafurov at UFC 294 in October 2023. Meanwhile, Oliveira was coming off a unanimous decision win over Ricky Simon at UFC 303.

Both fighters entered the match with calculated aggression, showcasing versatile striking. Oliveira struggled initially but applied pressure with constant clinch activity and managed several takedowns, wearing Nurmagomedov down. By the midpoint of the fight, Nurmagomedov showed visible signs of fatigue.

In Round 3, Oliveira intensified his efforts, gaining control with an early takedown. Nurmagomedov's labored response, failed to deter the Brazilian as he maintained pressure and finished the fight in the top position, winning by unanimous decision. With the win, Oliveira extended his win streak to five.

In the main card opening bout, lightweight contenders Fares Ziam and Mike Davis clashed in a three-round contest. Both men had their moments in the gritty back-and-forth battle that saw them outwork each other. However, Ziam won the battle of attrition, securing a unanimous decision victory.

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UFC Saudi Arabia: Preliminary card results

In the headlining bout of the preliminary card, Muhammad Naimov defeated Kaan Ofli by unanimous decision. Naimov demonstrated superiority in every aspect of the fight, outworking Ofli throughout all three rounds. This win marked his return to the victory column after suffering his first UFC loss in his previous fight at UFC Saudi Arabia in 2024.

In the only heavyweight fight of the preliminary card, Shamil Gaziev achieved a first-round knockout against Thomas Peterson. After a few initial exchanges, Peterson managed to secure a takedown but couldn't keep Gaziev on the ground. The Russian fighter landed a couple of punches before delivering a powerful left hook in the center of the cage, knocking Peterson out.

Terrance McKinney defeated veteran fighter Damir Hadzovic by first-round TKO. McKinney started aggressively, landing several kicks and punches right from the beginning. When Hadzovic attempted a takedown, McKinney executed a guillotine choke, transitioned to the mount position, and unleashed a flurry of punches and elbows, prompting the referee to stop the fight.

In the women's flyweight contest, Jasmine Jasudavicius defeated former bantamweight title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva by unanimous decision. Jasudavicius effectively utilized her pace to consistently attack with a high volume of strikes.

In a matchup of featherweights, Bogdan Grad weathered an early challenge to defeat Lucas Alexander by second-round TKO. Although Alexander dominated most of the first round with significant strikes and effective grappling, Grad turned the tide with a well-timed takedown following a leg kick and finished his opponent with a vicious ground-and-pound in the second round.

In the opening fight of the night, Greco-Roman wrestler-turned-MMA fighter Hamdy Abdelwahab secured his first UFC victory by defeating Jamal Pogues via unanimous decision.

Check out the UFC Saudi Arabia full results below:

Main card

Middleweight - Nassourdine Imavov def. Israel Adesanya by T/KO (R2, 0:30)

Middleweight - Michael Page def. Sharaputdin Magomedov by unanimous decision (30-27 X 2, 29-28)

Heavyweight - Sergei Pavlovich def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik by unanimous decision (30-27 X 3)

Bantamweight - Vinicius Oliveira def. Said Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision (29-28 X 3)

Lightweight - Farez Ziam def, Mike Davis by unanimous decision (30-27 X 3)

Preliminary card

Featherweight - Muhammad Naimov def. Kaan Ofli by unanimous decision (30-27 X 2, 29-28)

Heavyweight - Shamil Gaziev def. Thomas Peterson by T/KO (R1, 3:12)

Lightweight - Terrance McKinney def. Damir Hadzovic by T/KO (R1, 2:01)

Women's flyweight - Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Mayra Bueno Silva by unanimous decision (30-27 X 3)

Featherweight - Bogdan Grad def. Lucas Alexander by T/KO (R2, 4:22) (Alexander missed weight by 2.5 pounds)

Heavyweight - Hamdy Abdelwahab def. Jamal Pogues by split decision (29-28 X 2, 27-30)