Here it is official: the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) the biggest MMA league on the planet will land in Paris and organize its first evening in Paris, at the Accor Arena on Saturday September 3rd. The American League announces it this Thursday, May 19 and it is a very important event. “We have been preparing for our arrival in France for more than a decade, confirms UFC president Dana White. here we are ! I am delighted to organize our very first event in France at the beginning of September. This evening will be an epic and incredible moment that will go down in history for athletes and fans alike. »
Created in the early 1990s, the UFC is a bit like the NBA of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), this combat sport which is all the rage and which combines all the combat sports that already exist: boxing, wrestling, judo, Ju-jitsu and many more. Remember that MMA fights have only been authorized in France since the beginning of 20200. Remember also that the UFC brings together all the greatest fighters in the world, such as world heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou or Frenchman Ciryl Gane. Each meeting organized by this league is an incredible spectacle and when it lands all its barnum in the capital, we will be amazed.
“A UFC night is an unforgettable experience, a competition with the best fighters in the world, the show and an incredible spectacle”, promises Lawrence Epstein, the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). he also assures that the league has been eyeing France for a long time. But the legal framework and the pandemic for two years have delayed its arrival: “We have been waiting for years for the legislative framework to allow us to do so and we have had France in our sights for a very long time. The market of your country is, for us, extremely important. France is one of the biggest sports countries in the world. It is important that a league as powerful as ours is present there. »
Lawrence Epstein told us a few months ago: “Before the start of the epidemic, we planned to come for the end of 2020. Obviously the virus called everything into question. I can assure you that as soon as the opportunity arises, as soon as the Covid-19 allows us to do so, the UFC will come to France. I hope it will be as soon as possible. I personally like France, I really want to come to you and the UFC is also very keen because it is a very important market for us. We are hopeful that this will be possible. We are very excited about this idea. “Although no event has yet been organized there, the popularity of the UFC in France has grown exponentially for several years. With approximately 3.8 million fans, France is the second most important country in Europe on the UFC’s social networks, a sign of strong enthusiasm. The date of the first event is therefore known.
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It remains to be seen who will fight in early September in Paris. The two best Frenchmen will in all likelihood be on the bill: Ciryl Gane and Manon Fiorot. The Niçoise should be opposed to the American Katlyn Chookagian, number 1 in the flyweight classification. In the heavyweights, Ciryl Gane beaten in January for the world belt by the former Parisian homeless Francis Ngannou will begin his rise in the world rankings against Tai Tuivasa, an Australian currently ranked third in the world in the category.
By September 3, another fight will begin: buy tickets and there won’t be enough for everyone. The UFC already gives advice: “Faced with the popularity of MMA, it is advisable to pre-register on the UFC.com/Paris site in order to be able to reserve your tickets in preview. Tickets to attend this extraordinary event will go on sale Friday, June 24 via Accor Arena and Ticketmaster. Fight Club members will be able to purchase their tickets from Wednesday, June 22, while those who have expressed an interest in advance will be able to do so from Thursday, June 23. »
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