The UFC will return to Paris this weekend for a fight night featuring some of the very best fighters the sport has to offer. Headlined by two top heavyweight contenders, this card is loaded with what should be some very memorable matchups.
Two of the best heavyweights in the world will meet in a main event that could vault the winner into the top spot to be next in line for a championship opportunity. Plus, a former women’s strawweight champion moves up to take on a top flyweight contender and a very interesting lightweight matchup potentially puts a spot in the rankings on the line.
Lightweight bout: Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Thiago Moises
Since losing his UFC debut back in 2021, Benoit Saint-Denis has been on an absolute tear. He’s won three straight fights, each one either by knockout or submission, including a win via face crank in his most recent bout against Ismael Bonfim. That brings his overall record to 11-1 with nine submissions. Clearly, this guy knows how to finish fights and once he gets you on the ground, it may already be too late.
Of course, a lot of the same can be said for Thiago Moises, who somehow also won his most recent bout via face crank. That was also his second straight submission victory, which snapped a two-fight losing streak. A UFC veteran, his record now stands at 17-6 with eight submissions. It will be very interesting to see if either of these guys is willing to test the other on the ground, and if they are, it will be even more interesting to see which one of them wins that battle.
Women’s Flyweight bout: Manon Fiorot vs. Rose Namajunas
Speaking of fighters that are red hot, Manon Fiorot has won 10 fights in a row and sports a perfect UFC record of 5-0 with two knockouts. Her last performance may have been her most impressive as Fiorot secured a decision victory over perennial contender Katlyn Chookagian last October. Now the third-ranked contender in the class, Fiorot is likely just one big signature win away from claiming a championship opportunity. She can stand and bang with the best of them and that is certainly going to be tested in this co-main event.
Former Women’s strawweight champion and current second-ranked strawweight contender Rose Namajunas is one of the best ever. She knocked out current champion Weili Zhang with a head kick to capture the title and then beat her again via decision to retain it. She’s also defeated several others who have been considered among the best in the world, including Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Jessica Andrade. Rose is a dangerous striker who can end a fight in a blink, but she’s going to have to be careful with Fiorot. This should be a fun fight for the fans.
Heavyweight bout: Cyril Gane vs. Serghei Spivac
The heavyweight division is in a very interesting position right now. Current champion Jon Jones is set to defend against former champion Stipe Miocic. After that though, Jones’ future is uncertain has it has been so many times before. With huge potential opportunities on the horizon, all of the ranked fighters in this class should be pressing to make their case to be next in line, and these two guys certainly will be.
Cyril Gane, the number-two contender in the class, was the man who welcomed Jones back to the UFC and was submitted in just over two minutes. Prior to that loss, Gane had beaten everyone put in front of him in the UFC, except former champion Francis Ngannou. With his record now at 11-2 with five knockouts, Gane is a special athlete in this class. He can use his incredible combination of size, strength and explosive speed to control the pace of the fight and put his opponents in uncomfortable situations. An impressive performance in this outing could easily result in Gane getting his third shot at the title.
This will be a tough matchup for Gane though as Serghei Spivac is one of the toughest and strongest grapplers in the heavyweight division. Spivac has won three straight, each by knockout or submission, brining his record to 16-3 with seven knockouts and seven submissions. He’s a guy who can end a fight in a lot of ways and he’s one of the few in the division who may be able to outmuscle Gane. Of course, that remains to be seen, so it will be very interesting to see if he tries to keep his distance and strike or if he’s willing to try and put Gane on his back.
UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Spivac will be held Saturday, September 2 at 3:00 PM ET. Fight fans can watch live on ESPN+.