(This story initially revealed at The Courier-Journal, a part of the Gannett community)
The UFC returns to Louisville for the primary time in additional than 13 years Saturday with UFC on ESPN 57 at KFC Yum! Middle (8 p.m. ET), and there’s rather a lot driving on the principle occasion.
Ranked middleweight contenders Jared Cannonier (17-6) and Nassourdine Imavov (13-4) meet in a five-round bout, in what each males hope is their subsequent step towards a championship struggle.
Cannonier, who got here up quick in his first bid at UFC gold in July 2022, has rebuilt himself with back-to-back wins, with one coming in opposition to controversial former champion Sean Strickland.
The Phoenix-based fighter is No. 4 in the official UFC rankings and admits he hoped for a bigger-name opponent. Nonetheless, Cannonier, 40, is aware of the UFC brass appreciates lively athletes, so he wasn’t going to show down a headlining alternative.
“I needed one thing higher,” Cannonier instructed The Courier-Journal. “However these crumbs have been all that they had left for me. As an alternative of sitting on the shelf, I took this struggle. I’m going to go on the market and have one other nice efficiency, and hold marching ahead towards that title. That’s the entire purpose.”
No. 8-ranked Imavov, 28, has no such gripes with the matchmaking. He’s the youthful competitor who continues to be attempting to show his identify and obtain his first crack at a UFC title.
When the telephone rang for this struggle, he pounced on it.
“It’s an excellent factor for me,” Imavov mentioned via an interpreter. “It’s as soon as once more proof that the UFC believes in me. The very fact I settle for each struggle. Everybody, in every single place, each time. It’s additionally why the UFC offers me favor and makes me struggle laborious opponents.”
Imavov traveled greater than 10 hours from France, the place he lives and skilled for this struggle. He relishes the possibility to see completely different components of the world and expertise Louisville for the primary time.
Though Imavov is aware of he’s possible going to be the villain to the gang on struggle night time, he’s embracing all the weather.
“I like the town — it’s fairly calm and quiet, and I can’t wait to carry out,” Imavov mentioned. “I hope they’re going to make plenty of noise. They are often cheering for him, they are often cheering for me — for me, it’s the identical. So long as there’s noise, I can be glad.”
Cannonier can be having fun with his environment going into Saturday’s occasion. Over the previous almost 4 years, he has solely fought in Las Vegas and Texas, so getting the possibility to shut the present in a fight-starved area is one thing he takes pleasure in.
“There’s numerous bushes, contemporary air and issues like that,” Cannonier mentioned. “I like getting on the highway, and it’s good to be again in entrance of (a) crowd preventing in an enviornment once more. This can be fairly enjoyable. Fairly cool to do this.”
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