LAS VEGAS – Nassourdine Imavov doesn’t think he should have too much trouble with Sean Strickland at UFC Fight Night 217, so long as he keeps mentally strong.

Imavov (12-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) was originally supposed to fight Kelvin Gastelum in Saturday’s headliner, but when an injury occurred days out from the event, Strickland (25-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) stepped up and took the fight, which will now be contested at light heavyweight from the UFC Apex. The card streams on ESPN+.

With little time to scout each other, Strickland said pre-fight that he’s not looking much into his opponent. He did criticize Imavov’s French connections, however, predicting that he would “give up” in the fight. That’s part of Strickland’s schtick, though, and Imavov said he needs to be cautious about the talk from now until both men are locked in the octagon.

What can he do other than Gastelum? Big mouth,” Imavov told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “I think I just have to be careful of what he’s saying, the world that he’s using. The big mouth. That’s it. I heard that he’s starting to speak already with you guys, so I’m pumped. Let’s go.”

Imavov admits he was “a little bit sad” when the fight with Gastelum was pulled, especially since it was already canceled once before in 2022. It was the chance to break through against a foe who had challenged for interim UFC gold, but that doesn’t mean all is lost.

With a three-fight winning streak to his name and entering his first UFC headliner, Strickland is arguably the bigger name to Gastelum, and a spectacular win could carry more significance. Imavov agrees with that notion, and he expects a victory this weekend to alter the trajectory of his career.

“I will have a lot of steps (up) when I win the fight,” Imavov said. “I will be ranked better than if I did fight with Gastelum, so I’m grateful for that.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 217.