Nassourdine Imavov vs Phil Hawes — Fight recap

Phil Hawes defeated Nassourdine Imavov by majority decision at UFC Fight Night on February 20, 2021, taking all three rounds against the striking-focused middleweight. Despite Imavov's superior striking output—landing 57 of 93 significant strikes at 61% accuracy compared to Hawes' 31 of 54—the American wrestler's control time of 11:06 proved decisive.

Hawes secured four takedowns at a 57% success rate and dominated positional exchanges, while Imavov managed zero takedowns and accumulated just seven seconds of control time. The striking disparity suggested a competitive fight on paper, but Hawes' grappling pressure and cage control throughout all three rounds swayed the judges' scorecards.

The victory reinforced Hawes' wrestling-based approach as a viable counter to pure strikers in the middleweight division, positioning him for continued momentum in the 185-pound rankings.