MMA. UFC Paris: Imavov closes in on the belt, Saint Denis bounces back... the perfect evening for the French

After Ciryl Gane twice, then Benoit Saint Denis last year, it was Imavov, the "Sniper", that the UFC chose to feature in the main fight of the Parisian evening.

After a strong start against Brazilian Caio Borralho, Imavov accelerated in the following rounds before managing the final round. The 29-year-old Frenchman, the No. 2 middleweight contender heading into the fight, won by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46).

In a boiling room, as is the case every time the UFC comes to the French capital, Imavov, more offensive and precise if not spectacular, used his power and endurance to wear down the Brazilian.

But in addition to having to counter his opponent, known for his speed of movement and undefeated for nearly ten years, the Frenchman had to face an unforeseen difficulty when he injured his foot during the fight.

"Given the condition I was in, I'm very satisfied. I have a tendon in my heel that has come loose, I don't know what it is at all, but it hurts a lot," he explained. "I would have liked to win before the deadline, but it doesn't matter."

After this fifth consecutive victory against a member of the Top 10, the native of Dagestan therefore establishes himself as a natural and legitimate contender for a fight for the division belt, currently held by Khamzat Chimaev.

"I am next, Dana," Imavov said in the octagon in a message to Dana White, the all-powerful president of the UFC.

Having entered the stage shortly after midnight, Imavov brought the Parisian evening to a close in style, which this year had the feel of a France-Brazil match.

Moments earlier, Benoit Saint Denis had also won against an Auriverde, Mauricio Ruffy, announced as the favorite despite a lower ranking.

A year after the demolition suffered in the capital, Saint Denis won in style against the Brazilian Mauricio Ruffy.

Very diligent, the number 13 in the lightweight category won by submission after a rear-naked choke in the second round.

Saint Denis was coming off a victory against Canadian Kyle Prepolec in May, which followed two defeats, including a stinging one against Renato Moicano in September 2024 at the previous edition of UFC Paris, which he finished disfigured and with bloody eyelids.

Since then, the Frenchman has changed his entourage and turned to Nicolas Ott, a trainer who has become a key figure in French MMA and also Imavov's coach.

"I was very well surrounded and supervised, that's what allowed me to be the soldier that I am in the cage," said the 29-year-old fighter.

In his first UFC appearance, Sola won by technical knockout in the third round against Irishman Rhys McKee. Still undefeated in 11 professional fights, Sola had moved up a weight class for this fight after signing his UFC contract just ten days ago. As usual, the former ARES champion made his entrance to classical music, this time Mozart's Requiem.

Gomis, appearing on the UFC Paris card for the fourth time in a row, won a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) against Poland's Robert Ruchala. He earned his fifth victory in six fights in the American league and has demanded a Top 15 opponent for his next outing in the octagon.

The first Frenchman to enter the cage of the evening, Oumar Sy, scored an impressive victory against Brazilian Brendson Ribeiro. Sy won by technical knockout just before the end of the first round, putting an end to his unexpected defeat last June.