UFC Paris main card preview & top betting picks

Saturday’s UFC Fight Night at the Accor Arena in Paris is stacked with the cream of French MMA talent. Manon Fiorot will look to cement her spot as a viable contender in the women’s flyweight division when she tackles Rose Namajunas, and rising star Benoit Saint-Denis will ride a wave of hometown support when he faces Thiago Moises. Read on for BettingPlanet’s UFC Paris picks and main card analysis.

Ciryl Gane v Serghei Spivac

Ciryl Gane vs Serghei Spivac

Can Ciryl Gane salute on home soil when he tackles Sergehi Spivac in the headline act? See our UFC Paris main event preview here.

Manon Fiorot v Rose Namajunas

Manon Fiorot vs Rose Namajunas

Manon Fiorot (10-1-0) has not lost a fight since her professional debut back in 2018. She has been brought slowly through the ranks by the UFC matchmakers but now appears to be a fight away from contesting the women’s flyweight crown. The French athlete has developed a more patient approach in recent years, and her last three wins have come via unanimous decision. She does possess knockout punching power, and this looks like a favourable contest if she can avoid her opponent’s takedown.

Rose Namajunas (12-5-0) has struggled for motivation since losing her belt in a lacklustre effort against Carla Esparza and has moved up a weight division in the hope of reigniting her passion for MMA. She is lightly framed, and it remains to be seen if she can command the same octagon presence at 125 pounds. The former strawweight champ is a very smooth mover and will need to glide in and out of range against the power shots of Fiorot. At her very best, Namajunas would be a threat at this weight class, but she has not fought for more than a year and her mindset is unknown at this stage.

Benoit Saint-Denis v Thiago Moises

Benoit Saint-Denis vs Thiago Moises

Benoit Saint-Denis (11-1-0) enters this contest on a solid three-fight winning streak and will enjoy boisterous home-crowd support in Paris. The submission specialist has nine finishes to his credit via that method, with his other professional wins coming via KO. This contest promises to be a Fight of the Night contender given the talents of both fighters and their propensity to finish inside the distance.

Thiago Moises (17-6-0) rides a two-fight win streak into this bout and will be unafraid to tangle with his opponent either on the feet or the mat. The Brazilian is a BJJ black belt with eight submission wins on his record, and early striking exchanges look critical to deciding this outcome. Moises has shared the octagon with top athletes including Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green and will have no fear of the man opposite, so this should be a competitive contest.

Volkan Oezdemir v Bogdan Guskov

Volkan Oezdemir vs Bogdan Guskov

Volkan Oezdemir (18-7-0) has hit a career slump since 2020, posting a 1-4 run of results. His last three contests have all been decided by the judges, and he would be advised to avoid the scorecard lottery as he attempts to arrest his form slide. He possesses great power, with 12 KO finishes, and needs to find the freedom to press for a stoppage victory. Oezdemir will enjoy a significant experience advantage over his opponent and needs to apply pressure from the opening bell.

Bogdan Guskov (14-2-0) makes his UFC debut in Paris after amassing a solid resume on the provincial circuit. The Uzbekistan native has a 12-1 record since 2016, with all wins coming via stoppage. Guskov is a towering figure who throws heavy hands and knees and looks ready to show his talents on the biggest MMA stage. If he can survive the opening round, expect the underdog to come home strong in the subsequent stanzas.

William Gomis v Yanis Ghemmouri

William Gomis vs Yanis Ghemmouri

William Gomis (12-2-0) is a surging French talent who is undefeated in his last 10 contests. The 26-year-old made his UFC debut in 2022 and produced a solid decision win over Jarno Errens in a fun back-and-forth affair. He was less impressive at his subsequent outing, squeezing out a narrow split-decision win over Francis Marshall. He is still learning the game, but Gomis is a gifted athlete with great balance, footwork, and cardio.

Yanis Ghemmourin (12-1-0) makes his UFC debut after compiling nine straight wins with the Brave Combat Federation and other promotions. He appears worthy of this matchup and boasts three professional wins via KO and four via submission. With both fighters hailing from France, there should be no home-crowd advantage, but Ghemmouri will be keen to impress on his debut. Gomis looks to have a slight edge, but this should be a competitive fight.

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