Infuriating.
Nassourdine Imavov (24 years old) certainly only missed one round to overturn a fight led by Phil Hawes (32 years old), this night during UFC 19 in Las Vegas (United States) .
Losing in points at the end of the three rounds (29-28, 29-28, 28-28), the great hope of French MMA gradually took the upper hand physically over the American in the last moments of the fight.
Unbalanced, the favorite finally resisted facing the very promising endurance of the native of Dagestan.
Stopped by the siren, Nassourdine Imavov let the game slip away in the initial two rounds.
In the first, the member of the MMA Factory of Fernand Lopez, in Paris, was dominated in clinch and on the ground.
Phil Hawes, nicknamed "Megatron" insisted on his superiority in the fight to take the advantage again in points in the second round.
Imavov nevertheless managed to throw the American off balance briefly, as if to warn him of a completely restarted endgame.
🇫🇷🔥 GO!
đź’Ą Nassourdine Imavov who touches Phil Hawes on several occasions!
It's very tight between the two men in this second round ... # RMCUFC pic.twitter.com/ff1FA6WpiL
- RMC Sport Combat (@RMCSportCombat) February 21, 2021
Everything almost turned in the last 30 seconds, when the Frenchman chained the nudges and knee.
Wobbling, legs shaking, Hawes once again found refuge in the melee on the ground.
The American
(Editor's note: 9 wins including 7 by KO. for 2 losses)
thus inflicted on Imavov his second defeat in the UFC.
The Habs now have a record of 9 wins, including 3 by K.-O.
for two setbacks.
But, true to his reputation as a rising star in MMA, Nassourdine Imavov proved his ability to keep his promises during a big night out in Las Vegas.
Faced with a more experienced opponent, he learned for the future, and now knows what he needs to improve.