5 frontrunners for Fight of the Night at UFC Paris
The first-ever UFC Paris is set to go down at the Accor Arena this Saturday.
With this being the inaugural UFC event on French soil, the promotion has put together an excellent fight card as it looks to successfully break into a new market. The card is stacked with top French talent as well and will be headlined by a Parisian in Ciryl Gane.
The upcoming Fight Night features many great matchups that should blow the roof off the arena on the night. There are many promising contenders for post-fight bonuses on the fight card, which should ensure a memorable night of MMA action.
Here are the five frontrunners for 'Fight of the Night' at UFC Paris.
#5. Ciryl Gane vs. Tai Tuivasa – UFC Paris main event
The main event of UFC Paris pits former interim champion Ciryl Gane against rising contender Tai Tuivasa. Gane is coming off his narrow decision loss to reigning heavyweight king Francis Ngannou, wherein he came agonizingly close to becoming an undisputed UFC champion.
Gane will look to return to winning ways on Saturday when he takes on Tuivasa in an intriguing battle between two very different types of strikers.
This heavyweight clash is arguably set up to favor Gane. 'Bon Gamin' is the most technical striker in the division and is a bad stylistic matchup for Tuivasa. The towering Frenchman's silky movement and footwork, coupled with his pin-point striking, will undoubtedly pose problems for his fairly one-dimensional Aussie counterpart.
With the UFC looking to put on a showcase event in their first-ever visit to France, a victorious Frenchman in the main event serves as the ideal way to cap off a historic night.
However, Tuivasa isn't to be underestimated. The affable Australian knockout artist has dynamite in his fists, in addition to some decent Muay Thai skills with his knees and elbows. 'Bam Bam' will have to make it dirty if he is to get his hand raised this weekend, but against a slick operator like Gane, this could prove to be extremely difficult.
![Ciryl Gane is coming for undisputed gold [Image via @ciryl_gane on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/08/211ac-16619433927064-1920.jpg?w=500)
#4. William Gomis vs. Jarno Errens
Two young featherweight prospects are set to make their UFC debuts this weekend as France's William Gomis will lock horns with Dutch ace Jarno Errens on the main card of UFC Paris. Gomis, 25, and Errens, 27, represent the next generation of the 145-pound weight class, making this matchup all the more interesting.
William Gomis is considered the best French featherweight around, and after compiling an eight-fight win streak on the European regional scene, he finally got the call from the UFC. Gomis trains under renowned coach Fernand Lopez, who has coached the likes of Ciryl Gane and Francis Ngannou. He has six knockouts and one submission on his record.
Gomis' opponent, Jarno Errens, is also among the most hyped European prospects in the regional MMA scene. The Dutchman has competed all over the world and boasts a professional record of 13-3-1, comprising three knockouts and five submissions.
Errens is far more proficient on the ground than his French opponent, and taking this fight to the mat seems to be his easiest route to victory. However, against a dangerous striker like Gomis, this could prove to be very costly and he will have to be careful while closing the distance.
#3. Charles Jourdain vs. Nathaniel Wood
Charles Jourdain has already established himself among the most entertaining featherweights on the UFC roster. The Canadian fighter has never had a boring fight in his professional career, and his nine appearances inside the octagon thus far have all been barnburners.
In his last outing, Jourdain came up short against Shane Burgos, losing via Majority-decision following an evenly-contested affair. 'Air' will look to return to the win column at UFC Paris, where is slated to lock horns with British standout Nathaniel Wood.
Still just 26 years old, Jordain has a long way to go in his career. Nevertheless, he will be eager to break into the featherweight top 15 sooner rather than later. Beating Nathaniel Wood at UFC Paris could serve as the ideal platform to kick off his ascent up the ranks.
His counterpart, however, is no slouch. Wood, who previously competed at bantamweight, looked sensational in his featherweight debut in London earlier this year. The Englishman is a serial finisher just like Jourdain, with 14 of his 18 career wins coming via finishes.
Both Jourdain and Wood are submission threats on the mat as well. As such, this 145-pound clash should be a real treat to watch and is unlikely to go the distance.
#2. Nassourdine Imavov vs. Joaquin Buckley
Nassourdine Imavov, France's second-highest ranked male fighter in the UFC, has emerged as a dangerous contender in the middleweight division. However, the soft-spoken Frenchman hasn't quite garnered the attention he deserves, largely due to the stale nature of the 185-pound bracket.
With Israel Adesanya's ongoing dominance atop the middleweight division, a fellow striker like Imavov doesn't quite get the promotional push that his skills warrant. At UFC Paris, 'Russian Sniper' will square off against Joaquin Buckley, a matchup that has all the makings of a excellent stand-up contest.
Joaquin Buckley gained mainstream notoriety in 2020 for his jaw-dropping head-kick knockout that went viral on social media. Since then, 'New Mensa' has gone 4-1 in the UFC, picking wins over the likes of Jordan Wright, Abdul Razzak Alhassan and Albert Duraev along the way.
Buckley's explosive Taekwondo style will be an interesting contrast to Nassourdine Imavov's measured Muay Thai fundamentals. Additionally, Imavov will have the support of the French faithful behind him, which could either work in his favor or potentially add to the pressure and go against him.
With a coach like Fernand Lopez, Imavov will likely have a solid gameplan to neutralize Buckley's unpredictability. A win in front of an arena full of French fans could serve as the perfect springboard for his title run. A finish on Saturday night, especially a highlight reel knockout, could see the the masses finally recognize Imavov as a real threat to the middleweight crown.
#1. Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori
Both Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori find themselves in an awkward position in the middleweight division. The 185-pound duo have both fought and lost to divisional kingpin Israel Adesanya twice, making a third shot at 'The Last Stylebender' a difficult fight to sell.
In the co-main event of UFC Paris, Whittaker and Vettori will duke it out in a title eliminator bout. The loser will likely be out of the middleweight title picture for quite some time, atleast as long as Adesanya remains the champion.
Robert Whittaker is unilaterally regarded as the second-best middleweight in the UFC. The dynamic Australian is a clinical striker and is one of the best anti-wrestlers in all of MMA, evident in his memorable fights against Yoel Romero. The only criticism of 'The Reaper' is his scarcity of finishes at 185 pounds, which could come back to haunt him against the always durable Marvin Vettori.
Vettori has never been finished in his professional career. The former title challenger's toughness was on full display in his last fight against Paulo Costa and it's unlikely that Whittaker will be able to finish him.
Whittaker is durable in his own right, which makes this middleweight matchup a can't-miss. With both fighters desperate to return to the title picture, this high stakes clash is the most likely contender to steal the show at UFC Paris.