Nassourdine Imavov, a French middleweight of Dagestan origin competing in the UFC, spoke about sparring with the top heavyweights Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane.
Training with them was a wonderful learning experience. At the time Francis was already an accomplished fighter. We talked to him after sparring, and he gave useful advice. Ciryl was the same way. He has vast experience in punching. It's very hard to work with them, but it's necessary. The harder the better.
Nassourdine Imavov exclusively for Telecom Asia Sport
Imavov, 27, made his UFC debut in October 2020, when he defeated Jordan Williams by majority decision. He fought a total of six fights in the octagon, winning four of them. He trains at MMA Factory gym with Ciryl Gane.