Un historic meeting. For the first time in France, the UFC – the most prestigious mixed martial arts (MMA) organization in the world – arrives this Saturday at the Accor Hotels Arena in Paris. Five French fighters will be on the front of the stage, including the tricolor standard bearer Ciryl Gane. An evening event that will be broadcast unencrypted on the L’Équipe channel.
Long banned in France, before finally being legalized in February 2020, MMA is an extreme combat sport that combines martial arts, boxing and wrestling, and where almost all blows are authorized. A discipline from Anglo-Saxon countries which has long suffered from a bad reputation in France, due to the violence of its fights. But times have changed, mentalities have evolved and the UFC now boasts 4 million fans in France.
His arrival in France, the eleventh country visited by the organization in Europe, confirmed the phenomenon: more than 15,000 people are expected on Saturday at Bercy. “France is a major market for the UFC and we have been working on it for more than ten years to host our very first event in this country and finally offer the opportunity for French fighters to shine on home soil. The expectation of such an event on French soil was extraordinary and we knew that we had to allow as many people as possible to attend this historic event”, confides David Shaw, UFC Senior Vice President of International and Content.
“UFC Paris, a step before consecration”
Former champion of the discipline, converted consultant for the channel L’Équipe, Xavier Foupa-Pokam (“Professor X”), does not hide his excitement at the idea of seeing Paris hosting such an evening. “MMA is a martial art in its own right, as spectacular as it is universal and which deserves to be better known. A sport in which one can find all the styles and sensations that one encounters in the pre-existing disciplines: foot-fist boxing, Thai boxing, hand-to-hand wrestling, ground wrestling… This enthusiasm is born of immense frustration , linked to the long prohibition of the discipline. An era now over to the delight of French fighters and fans. »
“Three elements explain this long journey towards legalization: the mistrust of public authorities in the face of the unknown, the violence of sport which has not encouraged its acceptance, and finally the lobbying carried out by certain organizations or federations which, according to them, had no interest in MMA developing (loss of licensees, loss of TV rights, loss of public interest, fear of seeing certain traditional principles called into question)”, he explains. “However, these fears are unfounded, assures Xavier. Abroad, if MMA captured all the attention on its arrival, it subsequently redistributed a lot of licensees and visibility towards traditional disciplines. “Saturday evening, “Professor X” will be commenting on this great evening on the L’Équipe channel alongside Jean-Charles Bares. “UFC Paris is still a step before the consecration for MMA in France, he explains. A step that we have been waiting for for twenty years… When I started to fight at the professional level in 2001, I was already convinced that our sport deserved the same consideration in France as abroad. . »
Ciryl Gane facing Tai Tuivasa
Headlining this event evening, the French fighter Ciryl Gane (10-1-0) will be opposed to the Australian puncher Tai Tuivasa (15-3-0) in the heavyweight category. The native of La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée) has become in a few months an MMA star and a personality of French sport. But after suffering his first defeat last January against Francis Ngannou, “Bon Gamin” hopes to bounce back in front of his audience. “The first defeat for a fighter is always the critical moment. It is at this time that we see the great champions, able to get up after a failure, and those who let themselves be sucked down. But Ciryl has a mind of steel. He will be able to show how varied his technical palette is and far superior to that of his opponent. If he is able to make the best use of his movements and frustrates his opponent, before planting his banderillas one by one in the Tuivasa bull, I think he could manage to deliver the coup de grace”, analyzes Xavier Foupa-Pokam. “Bon Gamin” will however have to remain extremely vigilant against the Australian puncher. “Tai Tuivasa can rip anyone’s head off with one hit. He is aggressive, tough on evil and very dangerous. Four other French fighters will be on the front of the stage: the surprise William Gomis (10-2-0) in the main card but also Farès Ziam (12-4-0), Nassourdine Imavov (11-3-0) and Benoît Saint-Denis (1-1-0) in the preliminary card.
On the occasion of this first event of the UFC in France, the channel L’Équipe will offer an exceptional device: Messaoud Benterki at the presentation with Jean-Charles Bares and the former champion Xavier Foupa-Pokam on the comments, while France Pierron will take viewers behind the scenes of the preparations for the event throughout the day. “The L’Équipe channel is creating the back-to-school event by broadcasting the first UFC meeting organized in France. An evening that promises to be exceptional and which is part of our desire to offer ever more premium events, free of charge, to our viewers”, confides Jérôme Saporito, boss of the L’Équipe channel.