Beaten by Sean Strickland for the first time in January main event At UFC, Nassourdine Imavov returns to the octagon against Chris Curtis for UFC 289 this weekend in Canada (live from 2am Saturday night on RMC Sport 2). A date that will see the MMA Factory fighter looking to bounce back and fight big to stay in the top 15 middleweight division.

Sometimes you need to know how to adjust your strategy. MMA Factory, the main French supplier of tricolor fighters to the UFC, is a supporter of the fall-forward policy. The principle? Try to match each fight against a higher ranked opponent to progress as far as possible with each exit in the cage. “It’s always what we want … but if it’s available,” nuances Fernand Lopez, head of the Paris area. Which is not the case this time, as Nassourdine Imavov, one of the three French members in the top 15 of one of the UFC categories with Ciryl Gane and Manon Fiorot, faced fourteenth-placed American Chris Curtis in the preliminary in Vancouver, Canada this weekend UFC 289 card.

>> Live UFC 289 and the Imavov-Curtis clash with offers from RMC Sport

Defeated for the first time in mid-January by a unanimous and logical decision by Sean Strickland and his atypical style main event (main fight) and his first fight against a top 10 UFC middleweight, although that date was at the upper weight limit because Strickland didn’t have time to drop that low after beating Kelvin Gastelum just days before the event, the MMA , had replaced Factory “Sniper” didn’t integrate the latter, but didn’t drop down the rankings either. But this time he’s playing big. Imavov needs to win to ensure he stays in the top 15 and among the fighters that matter in this category. Fae has an opponent that his trainer and manager have declared.

“When you come back from a loss like Strickland’s, you have to put the promotion in the place,” explains Lopez on his show King & The G. If she lets you push forward and you fail, no one wants to put you on top because they want to drop forward too, but there’s a guy who has as many wins and losses in the UFC as you have (4-2 for both, editor’s note). ) and that we offer it to you, it’s the right fight for you. Do not say “no” to this suggestion as it will quickly anger the promoter. Sometimes you have to accept being the person you meet. Such is the case with Chris Curtis. (…) He’s in his place, he’s worthy of the top 15, it remains a correct fight.”

Imavov underwent ankle surgery in February and didn’t hesitate to quickly return to coal. With the reassurance of a physical exam to follow. “I feel very good, I can send my legs,” he explains in an interview for the website La Sueur. The most important thing is that it didn’t bother me in the training camp.” “He’s good, confirms Lopez. If we didn’t think he was ready, we wouldn’t have fought this fight, which is very complicated no matter which way we go.” “There was no hesitation, supports Imavov. There were several suggestions, but these fell short compared to the surgery. Now was the perfect time. It’s hard to stay on a loss… After the fight I wanted to fight again quickly and postpone the surgery again, but Fernand reassured me and told me that I had to make things right and that I still had time.

Unlike an opponent who is “tough on pain, is a very good taker, doesn’t stop moving forward, is a good boxer and unleashes powerful midsection kicks from time to time” (Lopez), Imavov his camp focused heavily on English boxing. with notably much work with the late French boxer Wilfried Florentin and a two-time Cuban amateur world champion. “We’ve come a long way,” the French fighter from Dagestan said with satisfaction. “Curtis is accurate on his back arm and when he hits it hurts so you have to be careful with that,” he explains. I think it will be standing that he will not change his habits. He likes going to war, he never gives up, he always leads and he has a good mind.” “It’s a complicated fight to win, but he’s still a less technical guy than Nassourdine,” adds Lopez added.

With a lot of strength building work, Imavov will arrive heavier and more powerful in the octagon on fight night. On the positive side, knowing that many would like to see him return to welterweight where he started his career to better capitalize on his size (Lopez isn’t in favor, but isn’t closing the door). “I gained three kilos of muscle in a few months,” he reveals. I’m 91-92 now and I’m as slim as I was when I was 89. That is a good thing. I’ve been thinking about it a little bit because.” Losing just two pounds before the fight really isn’t enough. Against Strickland I felt the opposition’s weight because it was a category higher. But I think the guys who lost 180 pounds in the middle are down 95-96 pounds at D-. Tag So why not do like them? I couldn’t do the same because I don’t lose much water in the sauna, 2kg at most, but weigh at least 90kg on the day of the fight and not 87-88. That would be perfect, ideal weight for me.”

Losing to Strickland taught him other things. “I have gained a lot of experience. I tried the five laps, so I’m even more confident with three laps. I know there is no problem with cardio level. I measured myself against the top 10, that’s a good thing.” . You could say I have a foothold there.” But this time we have to prove it with a win. “You have to show that it was just a mistake that my place is not at the back but at the front. We have to do things well. (…) I don’t have to finish it. I want to show that I can’t finish it. “I don’t just want to win, I really want to win to show I’m ahead in the top 10. But we don’t. We don’t underestimate it at all.”

“The loss to Strickland is a loss that pushed Nassourdine out of the picture as a potential contender for the title,” said Lopez. Mentally it’s hard to take. He has a dream of becoming a champion one day and that dream just fell flat. We need a win.” Given meeting a Curtis friend and Strickland’s training partner at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas (the pair even just started a podcast together), there will also be the idea of ​​a rematch. “I must close this defeat, and against the friend of Strickland it is even better!” “I imagine a good war, with an opponent who I think will do the same as his friend the Nassour did Hitting before by applying pressure, imagine Lopez. Except that he’s a little stronger than Strickland and a better boxer, at least in English. He will try to put a lot of pressure on Nassour. The idea will be to drown him with punches to the body or to the head. We expect this logic to be implemented. Works, why change? And on our other side we will see the adjustments.

Then it’s time to consider a possible presence on the UFC Paris card on September 2nd. “The goal is to be there,” confirms his coach and manager. But when you have a very long and tough fight in June and that’s what we expect to come out of it with a win and a minor injury that allows us to be medically fit for September, it’s complicated. “I’m just focused on this fight,” concludes Imavov. “Right now there is only Curtis. I have to pass it and pass it to revive myself. And to show that my place is not behind but ahead.” I lost against the top 10 but I was there, I didn’t give up and somewhere they want to test me by putting a guy behind me to show that they have to give me the top 10 back.” The mission is well known. It’s up to Nassourdine Imavov to fill these.