September 3rd promises to be a historic night for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as UFC Paris is set to usher in a new era. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will hold its very first fight card in Paris, France. UFC has never had the opportunity to hold a card in the country as MMA was not legal there.
France had rules placed which prevented MMA promotions from travelling over there and holding events for French fans to enjoy. But in a welcome move, the country abolished all the rules which prevented the sport in 2020. As a result, companies such as UFC and Bellator can finally expand their business into the country.
First Time Ever!! The Octagon lands at #UFCParis on Sept 3! 🇫🇷
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) May 19, 2022
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France has produced two of the best heavyweights in recent history. Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane have both started their MMA training in the country. While Ngannou is the current champion of the division, Gane has also held the interim heavyweight championship. A fight between the two started off the year as they came face to face at UFC 270.
The rivalry between the two was a heated one as they both had the same trainer at one point in their career. The feud was riddled with Claims and counterclaims. One can only imagine how much bigger the magnitude of the fight would have been if it took place in Paris, where it all started. But as they say, It is never too late to start something new.
UFC Paris: When is the event taking place?
The UFC website notes that the event is scheduled to take place in the heart of Paris. The event is set for September 4th, inside the Accor Arena. It holds a capacity of almost 16,500 fans for boxing events. Hence it can be expected that it will be the same for the UFC event as well.
UFC Paris: Fight Card
The first fight that had been made official was a middleweight clash between two top-ranked opponents in Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori. Although the bout was supposed to be a featured bout on the main card of the recently concluded UFC 275, it had to be postponed in light of an injury to Whittaker.
Although the bout is certainly worthy of being the main event itself, but it will be the co-main on the night. The UFC has announced that French native Ciryl Gane will feature in the headline against Tai Tuivasa. Gane last fought at the above-mentioned UFC 270 where he lost to Francis Ngannou. Tuivasa on the other hand is coming off the biggest win of his life against Derrick Lewis at UFC 271.
« Le Main Event de l’#UFCParis 🇫🇷@Ciryl_Gane vs @BamBamTuivasa »
— UFC (@ufc) June 15, 2022
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The UFC website also lists a women’s flyweight bout between Jessica Andrade and French fighter Manon Fiorot as a featured bout. So far only these 3 fights are confirmed to feature on the Paris card. However, a lot more fights are expected to be announced as the card approaches. Follow this space for all the latest updates on the event.
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