Nassourdine Imavov vs. Brendan Allen squared off in a Middleweight contest earlier tonight (Sat. Sept. 28, 2024) at UFC Paris inside Accor Arena from Paris, France.
Allen started the fight with authority, kicking Imavov in the calf then slamming him with a big clinch takedown. The American settled into side control and tried to mount, but Imavov recovered his guard. He wasn’t too active from top position, but he landed a few shots and controlled a long stretch of the round. Imavov didn’t do much from bottom aside from hold on, which really slowed the action. Still, Allen finished on top and banked an easy round on the cards.
After an exchange of distance strikes, Allen returned to the wrestling early in round two, but Imavov shut the shot down well. Back on the feet, Imavov landed a nice combo on the counter then sprawled out on another shot. After another land, Imavov reversed a shot and gained top position. Unlike Allen, he made the most of his top position right away, slamming home some nasty ground strikes.
Allen returned to his feet, taking a slappy head kick in the process. With the wrestling failing, Allen swung wildly but was losing the exchanges. He went down with another desperation shot, again ending up in bad position. Imavov started hunting a front choke then circled behind, cracking Allen with more ground strikes. Allen appeared to be wilting and gave up his back.
He survived to the bell, but despite the scorecards likely being tied, all the momentum belonged to Imavov.
Imavov’s snappy straight punches brought out another single leg takedown attempt from Allen. Again, Imavov defended well and gained top position in the process. He did a better job of scrambling up this time, however, and began trying to wrestle Imavov along the fence. He couldn’t get anything going though.
When the two gained separation, they started trading, and both landed! Each man was looking fatigued with 90 seconds remaining, and the fight was still up for grabs. Allen landed a nice knee but stalled his own momentum by shooting for another takedown. The two brawled to the final bell, utterly exhausted by the 15-minute fight.
All three judges scored the second and third round for Imavov, awarding him the decision win and ending Allen’s lengthy streak. It wasn’t the most exciting or inspiring performance, but he got the job done. On the whole, his wrestling looked really excellent, and his ability to make Allen pay for takedown attempts decided the fight.
The French fighter still has to get his conditioning in order if he’s to challenge Dricus Du Plessis, however.
Result: Imavov defeats Allen via unanimous decision
For complete UFC Paris: “Saint Denis vs. Moicano” results and play-by-play, click HERE!