Paired off with Ian Heinisch in July, Imavov weathered the early storm from “The Hurricane” and put him away in the second, using his long-range weapons to stick the veteran from distance before burying a knee into his midsection and finishing with ground-and-pound. The fight with Hawes put Imavov on the radar, and his efforts against Heinisch made him a fighter on the rise in the middleweight division.
This weekend, he has a chance to break into the Top 15 as he shares the Octagon with Edmen Shahbazyan, as the 23-year-old “Golden Boy” returns to action for the first time since May looking to snap a two-fight skid. After rattling off 11 consecutive victories to begin his career, including four straight under the UFC banner that propelled him into the rankings, Shahbazyan has faltered over his last two outings, suffering a third-round stoppage loss to Derek Brunson last summer before getting decisioned by Jack Hermansson earlier this spring.
Following up his battle with Hawes and victory over Heinisch with a victorious effort over Shahbazyan on Saturday would not only catapult Imavov into the rankings, but it would send him into 2022 as the top emerging talent in the 185-pound weight class, as well. He has the tools and training to accomplish this feat, and regardless of the outcome of this weekend’s contest, Imavov is one to keep an eye on going forward.
Ian Garry
Undefeated Irish prospect Ian Garry makes his UFC debut this weekend at Madison Square Garden, carrying a perfect 7-0 record into a preliminary card clash with Jordan Williams.
Nicknamed “The Future,” Garry certainly looked the part during his seven-fight run under the Cage Warriors banner, opening with a decision win in February 2019 before rattling off five consecutive finishes and wrapping up his time with the promotion by claiming the vacant welterweight strap with a unanimous decision victory over Jack Grant.
After claiming the title and inking his UFC deal, Garry crossed the Atlantic and set up shop at Sanford MMA in Deerfield Beach, Florida, surrounding himself with an all-star cast of coaches and training partners to help prepare him for the challenges that await him inside the Octagon, starting with Williams on Saturday.
The 31-year-old NorCal native, who moved to Colorado and now trains at Factory X Muay Thai, has landed on the wrong side of the results in his first two UFC starts, dropping a decision to Imavov before moving down to welterweight and getting submitted by Mickey Gall last time out. That said, Williams has slightly more experience than Garry and proven pop in his hands, making him someone the newcomer cannot take lightly.
