Kelvin Gastelum, Sean Strickland now headlines UFC Vegas 67 against Nassourdine Imavov on January 14.

Nassourdine Imavov, UFC, Sean Strickland, Kelvin GastelumFormer interim UFC middleweight title challenger, Kelvin Gastelum is out of his scheduled UFC Vegas 67 headliner against Nassourdine Imavov on January 14. – due to a mouth injury. As per an initial report from ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto as per UFC officials, Gastelum has been replaced by middleweight contender, Sean Strickland, who now […]

Nassourdine Imavov, UFC, Sean Strickland, Kelvin Gastelum

Former interim UFC middleweight title challenger, Kelvin Gastelum is out of his scheduled UFC Vegas 67 headliner against Nassourdine Imavov on January 14. – due to a mouth injury.

As per an initial report from ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto as per UFC officials, Gastelum has been replaced by middleweight contender, Sean Strickland, who now faces Imavov at a short notice light heavyweight limit on January 14.

“First UFC main event of 2023 has underwent a last-minute change,” Okamoto tweeted. “Gastelum out with a mouth injury, Sean Strickland has agreed to replace him against Imavov. Five rounds, but now 205 pounds per UFC officials. This is now back to back UFC events headlined by Strickland.”

Headlining UFC Vegas 66 just last month in the final promotional event of 2022, Sean Strickland suffered a close, contentious split decision loss against one-time title challenger, Jared Cannonier.

12-3 as a professional, Russian-born middleweight contender, Imavov is currently in the midst of a three-fight winning run, most recently beating Joaquin Buckley, to add to finishes over Edmen Shahbazyan, and Ian Heinisch.

Sean Strickland will attempt to snap a two-fight losing skid

Attempting to snap a run of two consecutive losses, Strickland dropped a stunning first round KO loss against current middleweight champion, Alex Pereira back in July of last year during International Fight Week. 

Suffering from five losses in his last six promotional outings, Gastelum dropped back-to-back headliners against former champion, Robert Whittaker, and the aforenoted, Cannonier over the course of 2021. 

Touted as a future top-contender at the middleweight limit, Imavov’s sole promotional loss came in a dubious decision defeat against Phil Hawes, following a debut success against Jordan Williams. 

Seeing a seven-fight winning run halted against Pereira last summer, the outspoken Strickland most recently defeated Jack Hermansson in a main event tilt last February.

UFC Vegas 67 takes place on January 14. from the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kelvin Gastelum, Sean Strickland now headlines UFC Vegas 67 against Nassourdine Imavov on January 14.

Nassourdine Imavov, UFC, Sean Strickland, Kelvin GastelumFormer interim UFC middleweight title challenger, Kelvin Gastelum is out of his scheduled UFC Vegas 67 headliner against Nassourdine Imavov on January 14. – due to a mouth injury. As per an initial report from ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto as per UFC officials, Gastelum has been replaced by middleweight contender, Sean Strickland, who now […]

Nassourdine Imavov, UFC, Sean Strickland, Kelvin Gastelum

Former interim UFC middleweight title challenger, Kelvin Gastelum is out of his scheduled UFC Vegas 67 headliner against Nassourdine Imavov on January 14. – due to a mouth injury.

As per an initial report from ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto as per UFC officials, Gastelum has been replaced by middleweight contender, Sean Strickland, who now faces Imavov at a short notice light heavyweight limit on January 14.

“First UFC main event of 2023 has underwent a last-minute change,” Okamoto tweeted. “Gastelum out with a mouth injury, Sean Strickland has agreed to replace him against Imavov. Five rounds, but now 205 pounds per UFC officials. This is now back to back UFC events headlined by Strickland.”

Headlining UFC Vegas 66 just last month in the final promotional event of 2022, Sean Strickland suffered a close, contentious split decision loss against one-time title challenger, Jared Cannonier.

12-3 as a professional, Russian-born middleweight contender, Imavov is currently in the midst of a three-fight winning run, most recently beating Joaquin Buckley, to add to finishes over Edmen Shahbazyan, and Ian Heinisch.

Sean Strickland will attempt to snap a two-fight losing skid

Attempting to snap a run of two consecutive losses, Strickland dropped a stunning first round KO loss against current middleweight champion, Alex Pereira back in July of last year during International Fight Week. 

Suffering from five losses in his last six promotional outings, Gastelum dropped back-to-back headliners against former champion, Robert Whittaker, and the aforenoted, Cannonier over the course of 2021. 

Touted as a future top-contender at the middleweight limit, Imavov’s sole promotional loss came in a dubious decision defeat against Phil Hawes, following a debut success against Jordan Williams. 

Seeing a seven-fight winning run halted against Pereira last summer, the outspoken Strickland most recently defeated Jack Hermansson in a main event tilt last February.

UFC Vegas 67 takes place on January 14. from the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sean Strickland Replaces Kelvin Gastelum At UFC Vegas 67

Sean Strickland will step up on days’ notice to face Nassourdine Imavov in the UFC Vegas 67 main event on Saturday. This after former interim middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum withdrew with a mouth injury. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto w…

Sean Strickland will step up on days’ notice to face Nassourdine Imavov in the UFC Vegas 67 main event on Saturday. This after former interim middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum withdrew with a mouth injury. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report the news of Strickland/Imavov and Gastelum’s withdrawal. According to UFC officials, Strickland…

Continue Reading Sean Strickland Replaces Kelvin Gastelum At UFC Vegas 67 at MMA News.

Sean Strickland Replaces Kelvin Gastelum At UFC Vegas 67

Sean Strickland will step up on days’ notice to face Nassourdine Imavov in the UFC Vegas 67 main event on Saturday. This after former interim middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum withdrew with a mouth injury. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto w…

Sean Strickland will step up on days’ notice to face Nassourdine Imavov in the UFC Vegas 67 main event on Saturday. This after former interim middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum withdrew with a mouth injury. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report the news of Strickland/Imavov and Gastelum’s withdrawal. According to UFC officials, Strickland…

Continue Reading Sean Strickland Replaces Kelvin Gastelum At UFC Vegas 67 at MMA News.

Nassourdine Imavov relishes his first main event opportunity vs. Kelvin Gastelum: “He’s a warrior… But I’m here, I’m also a warrior.”

Nassourdine Imavov and Kelvin GastelumNassourdine Imavov will headline the first UFC card of 2023 when he takes on experienced middleweight Kelvin Gastelum on January 14th at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Imavov is currently riding a three-fight win streak in the UFC octagon and finds himself up against a competitor in Kelvin Gastelum who is on a […]

Nassourdine Imavov and Kelvin Gastelum

Nassourdine Imavov will headline the first UFC card of 2023 when he takes on experienced middleweight Kelvin Gastelum on January 14th at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Imavov is currently riding a three-fight win streak in the UFC octagon and finds himself up against a competitor in Kelvin Gastelum who is on a much different career trajectory.

We last saw Nassourdine Imavov face off with Joaquin Buckley at UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa in Paris, France. In this fight, Imavov earned a Unanimous Decision victory in his home country and saw his name vault into the top 15 Middleweight rankings.

Leading up to this bout with Gastelum, Nassourdine Imavov took time to speak with James Lynch of LowKickMMA, discussing the anticipation surrounding his upcoming bout.

Pertaining to his most recent victory over Buckley in Paris, Imavov states:

“It was huge to fight for the first UFC in Paris. It’s been a long time that we’re awaiting the UFC in France and I’m very happy to win in Paris with my people.”

Nassourdine Imavov Thankful to Finally Fight Gastelum

January 14th will be Imavov’s sixth appearance in the UFC, and for the first time, he finds himself as a main event headliner. Speaking about this opportunity, he continues:

“It’s a very good thing it’s the first time for me, and I can’t wait to be here for the main event…I’m not really surprised (to be in the main event), I knew that it would happen. My coach said to me that it would happen; I’m not surprised I’m just very happy.”

Imavov vs. Gastelum was a fight originally scheduled to be a part of the UFC 273 card back in April, and finally, in January of 2023, it comes to fruition. Nassourdine offers up his comments about the fight being rebooked:

“I’m very glad that I can fight Kelvin Gastelum now. I was disappointed that the fight was canceled, but now I’m very glad and happy to fight against the big name that Kelvin Gastelum is.”

Imamov Talks About Gastelum as an Opponent

Kelvin Gastelum is certainly a big name and a veteran of the UFC octagon. Gastelum has previously been a title challenger in his career and has fought numerous legends of the game along his journey. Although Gastelum hasn’t enjoyed a victory since February of 2021, he still remains one of the most dangerous and durable Middleweights on the UFC roster. Imavov takes a portion of the interview to talk about the matchup with Gastelum and how their styles will clash:

“Kelvin is a very tough guy; I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a warrior like me and I think his style and my style will be a big fight. But I’m here, I’m also a warrior and I think one of us will (go) down… Kelvin has been in the UFC for a very long time, and he has fought a lot of guys… He’s a young fighter but he has a lot of experience. He has taken a lot of damage over his career and that’s a good thing for me.”

On fight night, Imavov will be cornered by his head coach Fernand Lopez but will also be joined by a few others that are special to Imavov. Nassourdine reveals two other cornermen that will support him for this fight:

“(Lopez) will be in my corner but my big brother Ibrahim will also be here, my true sparring partner will be here, and maybe Cyril Gane also.”

Imavov on Training with Cyril Gane

Fellow Frenchman Cyril Gane has enjoyed much success in the UFC, and Imavov reflects on his opportunity to train with someone of Gane’s level. He goes on to speak very highly of Gane:

“I love to train with Cyril Gane. I learned a lot with Cyril and when I talked with him, I’m aware that I have a lot of obstacles in front of me, and I want to take it the same way. (Cyril’s) always smiling, and he always has a very good ambiance in the gym.”

Prediction for Fight with Gastelum

Nassourdine Imavov was asked how he thinks this fight will play out, and his overall strategy for facing such a tough opponent. To this question, Imavov answered:

“Before my fight against Joaquin Buckley, I had two victories by knockout. My last win was on points, but I will do everything to knock him out. But I’m aware that he will do the same thing. Me, I will try everything to make him a knockout for sure. Of course, a fight of five rounds is not like three rounds. Everything is longer and harder, and my sparring and training are more difficult.”

The long-awaited return of the UFC will take place on January 14th as Nassourdine Imavov and Kelvin Gastelum headline Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Imavov looks to continue his win streak, putting his number 12 ranking in the middleweight division on the line. No.13 ranked Kelvin Gastelum looks for his first win since 2021 and a chance to move closer to another title shot. UFC fans around the world, tune in and watch as these Middleweight warriors go to battle.

Watch below for the full interview with Nassourdine Imavov:

Young UFC fighters to look out for in 2023

UFCWith the UFC’s schedule set to roll to an end in the final weeks of December, the promotion are in line for what promises to be another blockbuster year next annum. The organization – arguably the industry leader in spectated professional mixed martial arts, headed up by promotional president, Dana White – has constantly topped […]

UFC

With the UFC’s schedule set to roll to an end in the final weeks of December, the promotion are in line for what promises to be another blockbuster year next annum. The organization – arguably the industry leader in spectated professional mixed martial arts, headed up by promotional president, Dana White – has constantly topped sports streaming trends in the U.S. in recent years amid the pandemic and in tandem with the rising popularity of MMA.

Over the last two years, the promotion has fielded its usual who’s who of talent including the likes of Conor McGregor, Francis Ngannou, Jorge Masvidal, Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski, Kamaru Usman, and Israel Adesanya – however, the next crop of fighters emerging at the very top of the sport continue to take a foothold. 

Just last month, one of the UFC’s biggest and most exciting talents and prospects, undefeated Chechen-born fighter, Khamzat Chimaev continued his dominant run at welterweight, retaining his #3 rank with a one-sided submission win against Kevin Holland.

The AllStars MMA mainstay is threatening to spearhead a new era of fighter in professional mixed martial arts since his transition from the amateur ranks. And over the course of 2023, expect him to be joined in the fray by some of the most noteworthy emerging talents. 

Shavkat Rakhmonov

Recently booking his long-awaited Octagon comeback, Kazakhstan welterweight contender, Shavkat Rakhmonov has garnered fan attention like no other – improving on his staggering 100% finish rate professionally with a ground strikes win over Neil Magny in June.

Climbing as high as #10 in the welterweight rankings already, Rakhmonov, who draws Geoff Neal in January, is the proud owner of a 16-0 record, landing eight knockouts to go with eight separate submission wins. The former M-1 Global titleholder has been tipped to reach similar heights as the aforenoted weight class compatriot, Chimaev.

Bo Nickal

A name on the lips of mixed martial arts fans the world over this month so far, undefeated wrestling ace, Bo Nickal has made no qualms about his goals in the sport. Booking a quickfire UFC 282 debut at the end of this year, Nickal, a native of Colorado earned his Octagon deal with a triangle win over Donovan Beard on DWCS – and will draw Jamie Pickett in December.

Already linked to a fight with the likes of Chimaev, and middleweight kingpin, Israel Adesanya, Nickal, who has been a staple of training camps for the likes of Jorge Masvidal, and Dustin Poirier is set to take the sport by storm next year. 

Nassourdine Imavov

MMA Factory Paris prospect, Nassourdine Imavov turned in another impressive win – on adopted home soil last time out, no less, defeating Joaquin Buckley in Paris last month. And off the back of the win, the Dagestan-born prospect has landed his first headliner under the UFC banner in the form of a January outing against Kelvin Gastelum.

A product of Fernand Lopez in France, Imavov has already defeated the likes of Edmen Shahbazyan, and Ian Heinisch, en route to the #12 rank at middleweight.

Erin Blanchfield

An alum of the talent-rich Invicta FC system under the guidance of Shannon Knapp, the 23-year-old flyweight upstart, Erin Blanchfield has turned in a trio of UFC victories already since her debut just last year.

Landing in the Octagon in September the year prior boasting a 6-1 record, Blanchfield, who fights the popular Molly McCann at UFC 281 in November at Madison Square Garden has clinched the #12 rank at flyweight with wins over Sarah Alpar, Miranda Maverick, and most recently, JJ Aldrich with a June submission.