UFC Paris co-main event, September 28, 2024, Middleweight Nassourdine Imavov vs. Brendan Allen The hopes are that the matchup, with streaking fighters on both sides, will turn into a gap-filling title contention bout.
Fight Background
Ranked #4 in the UFC middleweight division, Nassourdine Imavov came into the octagon riding a two-fight win streak over top contenders Jared Cannonier and Roman Dolidze. With accurate striking and grappling defense, Imavov has methodically worked his way up to a point where he is one fight away from contention.
The same cannot be said for Brendan Allen, who was ranked #8, had just been on a 7-fight win streak, and amassed wins over tough opposition like Andre Muniz and Jacob Malkoun. But Allen was such an aggressive wrestler and submission artist that he seemed like a tough out for Imavov, especially on the mat, where Allen is often at his best.
Round-by-Round Breakdown
Round 1:
Brendan Allen Begins Assault The first round started with Allen none too happy taking the back of Muniz. He was able to get Imavov down on the mat and after 4 minutes plus, did well keeping him there by being active in side control. Imavov tried to work his way in full mount but was ultimately denied by Imavov showing a good defensive guard. He never landed anything significant, but Allen set the early tone as the better of the two grapplers.
Round 2:
A strategical change of directionThe momentum shifted in the second round. Allen tried to catch Imavov with takedowns late, but the Frenchman showed off improved sprawl and defensive grappling. The fight briefly halted following an inadvertent Imavov eye poke, but when action resumed Imavov pressured the action going forward. He was on target with punches and shoved Allen into a quiet retreat. The action in the round saw both fighters landing strikes, but the x-factor seemed to be Imavov’s takedown defense as he got top position and finished the round with some effective ground-and-pound.
Round 3:
Imavov continues to display his striking accuracy and excellent ability to stand the fight back up on replay. He connected with a sharp jab early in the round, then unloaded a solid combination that wobbled Allen. It was in this round that Allen shot for another takedown but Imavov defended it well and landed on top in a half-guard posture where he rained down punches from the back. Imavov on the ground was a beast, landing shots and never allowing himself to get stood up.
The fighters traded in the closing moments, but Imavov used precise strikes and top control to ice it down the stretch. Imavov took home a unanimous decision victory after the judges scored it 29-28.
Key Takeaways
Grappling is where a large portion of Imavov has been exposed to his own mistakes, but in all honesty, it really isn’t that bad once you look into these 2 wins a bit more.
Imavov’s Improved Grappling Defense
However, Imavov showed tremendous takedown defense over the course of the fight. Though he was smothered for the majority of round one on the mat (control time: 6.56 compared to 0.54), Faber responded in the next two rounds by successfully stuffing Allen championship-take downs from relentless takedown attempts. That change in direction opened the door for Imavov to play his game and stick to the feet; an even more clear win for him.
Allen’s Missed Opportunities
Despite controlling the first round with his wrestling, Allen failed to keep up that pace. His relatively poor takedown attempts in rounds two and three had a big part to play in that result. What’s more, Allen’s corner knew the fight was most likely dead even after two rounds but couldn’t get it through to him as he kept going back to the well with low-percentage single-leg takedowns that Imavov easily dealt with.
Imavov’s Striking and Cardio
The jabs and combinations from Imavov proved to be the deciding factor in this one. He bested his strikes range and out cardiology Alle was stilling to be ensure of stunning energy. He was able to shut down takedowns and save energy while also managing to ramp up his offense.
What’s Next for Imavov and Allen?
With this win, Nassourdine Imavov has effectively placed himself in the middleweight top 10 UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc)25. From there, his next aim might be a title eliminator scrap or he may get a shot at the title with his top-five ranking and recent results. He could draw a top contender like Marvin Vettori or Derek Brunson.
The defeat snaps a seven-fight win streak for Brendan Allen, but he’s still one to keep an eye on in the middleweight division. Allen is probably going to work on tightening up his striking and adjusting how he gets his takedowns. A scrap against another top-10 middleweight would be the key to getting him back on track.
Conclusion
And Nassourdine Imavov vs Brendan Allen with the UFC Parisco main event brought us an epic tactical war. It showed he had finally learned how to adapt and control rounds in the latter half of fights, but Allen’s wrestling-fueled attack was inadequate for a more multifaceted adversary. Both men showed a lot of heart and grit, but Imavov lays claim to the top spot in the UFC middleweight division after this one, and he looks on his way up.
Read More: Islam Makhachev: the UFC’s superhighway to superstardom
