A middleweight clash pitting Nassourdine
Imavov against Kelvin
Gastelum is expected to serve as the headliner for an Ultimate
Fighting Championship event on Jan. 14.
The booking was initially reported by
La Sueur on Twitter, and Gastelum has since confirmed the bout
on social media. The card will take place at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. Imavov and Gastelum were initially slated to meet at UFC
273, but visa issues for Imavov resulted in the contest being
canceled.
Anchored at the MMA Factory in France, Imavov enters the matchup
with Gastelum on a three-bout winning streak. Most recently, the
27-year-old outpointed Joaquin
Buckley at UFC Fight Night 209 on Sept. 3. He is 4-1 in the
Octagon overall, with his lone setback coming against Phil Hawes
in February 2021.
Gastelum, meanwhile, is just 1-5 in his last six promotional
appearances and did not compete at all in 2022 after proposed bouts
against Dricus Du
Plessis and Imavov fell through. His last appearance came at
UFC on ESPN 29 in August 2021, when he dropped a five-round verdict
to recent title challenger Jared
Cannonier. Gastelum’s other defeats during his recent skid have
come against the likes of Israel
Adesanya, Darren Till,
Jack
Hermansson and Robert
Whittaker.