9 Hits And 3 Misses From UFC Paris: Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho

In what has seemingly grow to be a fall custom, the UFC returned to Paris for a Struggle Night time occasion, with this 12 months’s UFC Paris happening on the Accor Enviornment on September 6.

This marks the fourth straight 12 months the UFC has held a September Struggle Night time occasion within the Metropolis of Lights. With France solely simply legalizing MMA again in 2020, the UFC has yearly made an influence in Paris with entertaining struggle playing cards for the French fanbase. Final 12 months’s UFC Paris card noticed Renato Moicano rating a physician’s stoppage victory over Benoit Saint Denis.

The primary occasion of this 12 months’s UFC Paris noticed a serious middleweight contenders conflict that includes Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho. Imavov entered this bout on a four-fight win streak and with seven wins in his final 9. This marked his first outing since his end of former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC Saudi Arabia in February. Borralho entered with wins in all however two of his skilled MMA fights, together with an ideal 7-0 Octagon file. The Combating Nerds member entered this struggle off a win over Jared Cannonier final 12 months at UFC Vegas 96.

Saint Denis was concerned on this 12 months’s card as nicely, taking up Mauricio Ruffy within the co-main occasion. Saint Denis had received six of his final eight, most not too long ago submitting Kyle Prepolec at UFC 315. Ruffy had received seven straight and 3-0 within the UFC coming into tonight’s bout, coming in off his epic spinning wheel kick knockout of King Inexperienced at UFC 313.

Who left their mark in Paris? Who may have finished so much higher? Let’s discover out with the UFC Paris Hits and Misses!

Hit: Lighting Up The Metropolis With Finishes Galore

In one of the historic cities on this planet, the UFC gave the individuals of Paris a deal with with all the motion that went on on the occasion. Out of the 13 fights that happened at UFC Paris, 11 ended by way of a end. This tied a file set additionally by UFC Struggle Night time Syndey in November 2014, UFC 224 in Might 2018, and UFC 281 in November 2022.

This included a preliminary card that went 7-for-7 in finishes. Highlights from the preliminary motion featured first-round knockouts from the likes of Rinat Fakhretdinov, Sam Patterson, Kaue Fernandes, Ante Delija, and Oumar Sy. In the meantime, the principle card noticed the likes of Axel Sola, Mason Jones, Modestas Bukauskas, and Benoint Saint Denis scoring finishes.

There are occasions the place UFC Struggle Night time playing cards could be a little bit of a miss; there might have some trepidation that such may occur after how the preliminary card went. Simply take a look at UFC Shanghai from a few weeks in the past. However with out query, UFC Paris greater than delivered (and thank goodness it was a Struggle Night time that happened outdoors of the UFC APEX).

Hit: Paris Presents Vigorous Environment

They are saying that the worldwide UFC crowds are the very best ones, and for good motive. However credit score the place it’s due, the viewers current on the Accor Enviornment was superior. The gang was loud from the very first prelim and into the co-main occasion and fundamental occasion bouts — the place they had been loud on the finish seeing their hometown fighters come out on high.

The Paris card has grow to be an annual late summer time/early fall custom that has been actually pleasant, and I’m glad we now have it.

Hit: Sam Patterson On A First-Spherical End Frenzy

I don’t know what has gotten into Sam Patterson during the last 4 fights, but when he has some type of routine or good-luck appeal or superstitious apply, he must stick with it. His end of Trey Waters in the course of the prelims reveals simply how a lot momentum that younger man has.

After a gradual begin from each males, Waters gave the impression to be getting the higher hand. However Patterson acquired right into a groove together with his proper hand, and he continuosuly landed it to devastating results on Waters, snapping his head again repeatedly. Finally, the referee noticed sufficient, giving Patterson the win in about three minutes.

Patterson might have misplaced his UFC debut again at UFC 286 however he’s now racked up 4 straight first-round finishes. It could be applicable that his nickname is “The Future”; if Patterson, the Dana White Contender’s Collection and Courageous CF alumnus, can proceed to develop whereas placing on performances like this, his future is likely to be shiny.

Hit: Ante Delija Has Alternative In Weak UFC Heavyweight Scene

It was just some years in the past when Ante Delija grew to become the 2022 PFL heavyweight champion, and after Francis Ngannou was signed by the promotion, some questioned if Delija would get a showdown with Ngannou. Whereas that dream struggle of his by no means got here, and Delija finally departed the PFL earlier this 12 months, his UFC run is off to as sturdy of a begin because it could possibly be together with his first-round stoppage of Marcin Tybura.

Although Tybura tried to cease the preliminary right-hand primarily based assault together with his grappling, Delija managed to flee Tybura’s grasp and hassle him together with his hanging. Delija’s assault could be an excessive amount of for Tybura, who’d fall to the mat to offer the previous PFL champ a TKO in his UFC debut.

Tybura got here into the struggle ranked No. 7 at heavyweight. On one hand, this, mixed with Curtis Blaydes’ near-loss to a debuting Rizvan Kuniev earlier this summer time (mixed with Kuniev coming into the rankings on a loss) is likely to be offered as a foul search for the UFC’s heavyweight division. However take a look at what this could do for it — and what it does for Delija. He’ll be positioned simply outdoors of the highest 5 at heavyweight. If he wins one other struggle or two, then he’ll be already primed for a title shot — and that provides this division one other critical identify that it desperately wants.

Miss: Herb Dean – Make It Make Sense

It seems like one thing is up each occasion Herb Dean officiates, and it’s unhappy. It seems like there have been loads of fights this 12 months the place if he’s referring, his choices can grow to be the focal point. That’s not good. And to make this week’s issues worse, this concerned not one, however two calls made.

Dean’s unhealthy evening began in the course of the preliminary card, with Kaue Fernandes utilizing a leg-kick assault gameplan to attain a end of Harry Hardwick. Fernandes acquired Hardwick limping across the Octagon lower than two minutes into the struggle, and but Dean, regardless of seeing Hardwick wobble round, allowed the struggle to proceed. One significantly unhealthy leg kick noticed Hardwick roll across the mat. However Dean waited to see Hardwick unable to face regardless of his efforts earlier than calling the struggle.

Then, on the principle card, Dean had a blunder throughout Axel Sola’s win over Rhys McKee. Sola landed a physique shot that appeared to ship McKee to the mat. McKee appeared to go for a takedown rapidly, however Sola stopped that straight away with a few seconds of ground-and-pound. Although McKee appeared to nonetheless be within the struggle and defending, Dean stepped in and waved the bout off — a lot to the protests of McKee and the group (and the remainder of the MMA group on X).

For the three millionth time, how is it officers (refs, judges, and so forth.) aren’t obligated to defend their controversial choices (and very often get away with them)? It’s a tragic state of an affair on this sport.

Hit: Mason Jones – Name Him Comeback Child

How do you observe up successful a wild struggle with Jeremy Stephens in your UFC return? Nicely, Mason Jones’ reply to that query was to just about get stopped by Bolaji Oki, solely to come back from behind and rating a end within the subsequent spherical.

Oki rocked and dropped Jones twice within the struggle’s first 90 seconds, practically placing him away proper then and there. Jones wouldn’t be deterred, nevertheless, and he took management, trying to lock up a submission and storming again to take management of the struggle. Jones would deliver Oki to the mat within the second spherical and overwhelm him with ground-and-pound en path to a comeback TKO.

Jones went 1-2 (1 NC) throughout his first UFC tenure from January 2021 to July 2022. Since getting reduce, Jones has now received six straight, successful all 4 of his fights in Cage Warriors earlier than getting re-signed by the UFC. A agency eye ought to now be on Jones as he continues to develop and work his means up towards extra distinguished names at light-weight.

Hit: Modestas Bukauskas Racks Up Wins

Don’t look now, however Modestas Bukauskas is likely to be a struggle or two away from being a ranked gentle heavyweight after his buzzer-beater knockout of Paul Craig.

Each males appeared to make the most of grappling on this matchup, with Bukauskas attempting to make use of the clinch earlier than Craig tried to deliver the struggle to the mat. Although the struggle ended up on the bottom, Bukauskas was the one in management. He’d ship some sturdy ground-and-pound, together with an elbow proper on the horn that left Craig unable to get again to his nook and unable to proceed.

Bukauskas’ preliminary UFC run noticed him go simply 1-3 earlier than the promotion parted methods with him. Now, he’s acquired 4 wins within the Octagon, together with three finishes throughout that span. A quantity subsequent to his identify within the rankings is likely to be coming ahead of some might imagine.

Hit: Thanks, Paul Craig

The 12-year skilled MMA profession of Paul Craig resulted in Paris, as he laid down the gloves within the heart of the Octagon following his loss to Modestas Bukauskas.

Craig began skilled MMA in August 2013, successful his first 9 bouts. That included his UFC debut in December 2016, defeating Henrique da Silva. Craig would lose 4 of his subsequent six however proved to be an entertaining, and fashionable, determine — particularly when he competed on UFC playing cards held in Europe.

Craig went 5-0-1 between September 2019 and March 2022, scoring 4 efficiency bonuses throughout that point. Craig’s time within the UFC, nevertheless, ended with losses in six of eight, going through off towards numerous notable names in immediately’s UFC gentle heavyweight division, together with Johnny Walker and Caio Borralho, in addition to ranked middleweight contender Brendan Allen.

Craig wasn’t the winningest sort of fighter within the UFC. However had been his fights at all times entertaining and one thing individuals saved tabs on? By far. So, shoutout to “Bearjew” and the very best to him in his retirement.

Hit: The Finest Benoit Saint Denis Has Ever Seemed

After his outing in Paris final 12 months didn’t go the best way he wished, Benoit Saint Denis returned to his residence nation this 12 months for a present within the Octagon that proved to be maybe the very best efficiency he’s ever had, turning away the rising Mauricio Ruffy in a second-round end.

Saint Denis introduced stress straight away, mounting Ruffy in simply 60 seconds and controlling the motion from there, at the same time as Ruffy introduced the struggle again to the toes for the final 40 seconds of spherical one. It didn’t take a lot for BSD to return the motion to the mat for spherical two, the place’d he rating a victory by way of rear-naked choke.

The opposite time BSD had this sturdy of a win, you’d most likely have to have a look at his UFC 295 outing, when he knocked out Matt Frevola in simply 91 seconds at Madison Sq. Backyard. Now that he has back-to-back finishes beneath his belt towards names who had been unranked or decrease ranked, possibly BSD’s subsequent bout can come towards somebody within the decrease portion of the top-10 at light-weight.

Miss: Too A lot, Too Fast For Mauricio Ruffy?

I don’t need to fully wreck on Mauricio Ruffy; as talked about, Benoit Saint Denis had probably the greatest performances of his profession within the UFC Paris co-main occasion. However on that very same regard, Mauricio Ruffy appeared fully outclassed.

This was solely Ruffy’s fourth struggle within the Octagon since coming into the UFC off a spotlight end on Dana White’s Contender Collection. The finishes have been nice and made Ruffy worthy of consideration, not to mention the actual fact he’s a part of the Combating Nerds staff. However maybe going from King Inexperienced to BSD, who has been in there with the likes of Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano, might have been slightly a lot of a bounce.

Hopefully Ruffy finds one other opponent in pretty brief time and he can have a rebound efficiency to take his momentum again up.

Miss: Nassourdine Imavov And Caio Borralho Simply Gave Khamzat Chimaev To Both Anthony Hernandez Or Reinier De Ridder

Speak about a strategy to finish an thrilling UFC Paris card with a letdown — and to come back tremendous near a middleweight title shot, solely to simply hand it away. Nassourdine Imavov might have gotten the win in his native France over Caio Borralho, however each males might not be getting the middleweight title shot they may have acquired with a formidable victory.

The struggle didn’t have the largest quantity of output, with Imavov discovering success behind his jab and Borralho not bringing out the extent of exercise we’re used to seeing from him. Although Borralho battled again in a robust third-round efficiency, Imavov’s hanging proved to be simply an excessive amount of — although not sufficient to earn a end.

Although Imavov got here into the competition ranked No. 2 at middleweight, UFC CEO and President Dana White has hinted at the opportunity of Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez or former two-division ONE champion Reinier de Ridder leaping him if considered one of them scores a spotlight victory in the principle occasion of UFC Vancouver subsequent month. Now with the boring struggle Imavov and Borralho placed on in Paris, it’d solely take a great (learn: good, not nice) efficiency from a type of two to attain the primary crack at Khamzat Chimaev.

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