Imavov was born on March 1 and moved from Russia to France as a child, settling with his family in the south before basing his career out of Paris. He came to MMA through boxing, and the striking background still shows in his upright, pressure-based style. He signed with the UFC and debuted in October 2020, working up the middleweight ladder through the division’s gatekeepers and contenders. A 2023 trip up to light heavyweight, where he dropped a decision to Sean Strickland on short notice, is his only loss in four years. Back at 185, nobody has touched him.
At six-foot-three with a 75-inch reach, Imavov fights tall and patient. He lands 4.28 significant strikes per minute at 58.8% accuracy — a counter-striker who picks shots rather than drowning opponents in volume. His jab and straight left set up the power, and seven of his career wins have come by knockout. The grappling is functional rather than feared: 32% takedown accuracy says he wants the fight on the feet, though four submission wins say he’s fine when it hits the canvas. The book on him is durability and reach management against shorter, faster pressure fighters. Chimaev is exactly that test.
The run started in February 2024 with a majority decision over Roman Dolidze. Then a fourth-round TKO of Jared Cannonier in his first UFC main event, then a unanimous decision over Brendan Allen. The breakthrough came on February 1, 2025 in Riyadh: a second-round TKO of former champion Israel Adesanya, the biggest win of his career. He closed the run on September 6, 2025 at UFC Paris, beating Caio Borralho by unanimous decision in front of his adopted home crowd at Accor Arena.
Imavov is now waiting on Chimaev, who took the belt off Dricus Du Plessis in August 2025. He told Sherdog the UFC has floated a February date, though no opponent is officially confirmed. The complication, as he explained to RMC Sport, is cultural: his Dagestani roots and Chimaev’s Chechen heritage make the fight uncomfortable in the Caucasus. He plans to take it anyway. Four years without a loss at middleweight — he’s earned the right to ask.