French fans of mixed martial arts (MMA) will tick the box in their calendar. The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the main MMA league in the world, announced on Thursday that it would organize an event in France for the first time. It will take place on September 3 at the Accor Arena in Paris, more than two and a half years after the legalization of competitions in our country.
“The debut of the UFC in France marks the culmination of a decade of efforts to obtain official recognition of MMA by the authorities and to integrate MMA into the French sports ecosystem.“, wrote the UFC in a press release.
Cyril Gane expected
The fighters who will compete during this evening are not yet officially known, but except surprise, the French Ciryl Gane, quoted in the press release, should be the headliner of the evening. Gane, beaten by the Cameroonian Francis Ngannou in January in California, had become on this occasion the first Frenchman to fight for the UFC heavyweight title. His compatriot Manon Fiorot, also quoted in the press release, should also be present.
MMA is an extreme combat sport that allows kicks, punches, knees and elbows, as well as ground blows, chokes and locks, inside a cage. France has long been one of the last major countries to ban MMA competitions, before a turning point set in motion following the appointment of Roxana Maracineanu to the Ministry of Sports in France, and which led to their legalization at the beginning of 2020, under the leadership of the French Boxing Federation.
The UFC claims 3.8 million fans in France, making it “the second most important country in Europe on social networks” organisation. Bellator, the second most prestigious MMA league in the world, has already come to Paris twice since the discipline was legalized.