June 09, (THEWILL) – Nassourdine Imavov claimed a controversial fourth-round TKO victory against Jared Cannonier in the main event of UFC Fight Night at the KFC Yum! Centre in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday.
The decisive stoppage by referee Jason Herzog at 1:34 of the penultimate round immediately sparked debates among fans and pundits.
The Frenchman landed a brutal combination, swarming Cannonier with multiple strikes, including straight rights, left hooks, and knees during a 20-second blitz.
However, many argue that ‘Tha Killa Gorilla’ was still defending himself effectively when Herzog intervened to halt the action. The competitive back-and-forth contest between the two tough opponents had been shaping up for a potential full-distance war.
In his post-fight interview, Imavov expressed his readiness to continue the fight if necessary, stating: “I was ready to keep going.” Nonetheless, he acknowledged the referee’s decision, adding, “I think he made the right decision, but I was ready to continue the fight if the fight was willing to continue. That’s the referee’s job, it’s what the referee does on a daily basis.”
With his sights firmly set on former division champion Sean Strickland, Imavov declared: “My goal is to get the belt, and I’d like to fight Sean Strickland in Paris [in September].” This potential matchup holds added significance as Imavov looks to avenge his previous short-notice loss to Strickland in 2023.
The rest of the main card witnessed notable performances, including Dominick Reyes’ first-round KO win over Dustin Jacoby, Raul Rosas Jr’s submission victory against Ricky Turcios, Bruno Ferreira’s spectacular spinning back elbow knockout of Dustin Stoltzfus, Zachary Reece’s 20-second stoppage of Julian Marquez, and Punahele Soriano’s unanimous decision triumph over Miguel Baeza.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
