UFC Paris had an undercard with a couple entertaining subs and a lot of decisions, but the main card featured some real leather throwing. The main event featured a huge lightweight showdown that saw Renato Moicano silencing the hometown crowd and beating up Benoit Saint-Denis on the ground. However in the co-main event, the French reigned supreme as Nassourdine Imavov likely sealed a middleweight title shot with his dominant win over Brendan Allen. Some ascending fighters at UFC Paris are guaranteed to get some big-time matchups in their next bouts.
Renato Moicano
Renato Moicano absolutely battered and brutalized his opponent, Benoit Saint-Denis, in the UFC Paris main event Saturday. Moicano eventually scored a doctor’s stoppage victory at the conclusion of the second round of the bout.
Renato entered the fight as the #11 ranked lightweight in the UFC while Benoit Saint Denis was ranked at #12. And Moicano is riding a lot of momentum right now as its not only that he’s on a four-fight win streak but how he’s winning these fights and how electric they are. And of course, Renato having fun on the mic afterwards. A golden formula.
Dan Hooker would be the ideal next matchup for Renato Moicano. Renato mentioned both Dan and Paddy Pimblett after his fight. But a fight with #5 ranked Dan Hooker makes the most sense for 35-year-old Moicano, who needs to make his move on the belt sooner rather than later.
Renato’s next fight: Dan Hooker
Nassourdine Imavov
Nassourdine Imavov turned in nearly as dominating of a performance as he could have dreamt of as he out grappled Brendan Allen on his way to a unanimous decision victory.
Imavov put his #4 ranking in the UFC’s middleweight division up for grabs as Allen entered the fight ranked at #8. Nassourdine is now on a four-fight unbeaten streak including names like Chris Curtis, Roman Dolidze, and Jared Cannonier. Imavov’s next fight should be for the belt with what is going on in the middleweight division. A fight with Dricus makes sense if that is what Imavov wants but a fight with #1 ranked UFC middleweight, Sean Strickland, is also available if Imavov so chooses (Strickland represents his last loss).
Nassourdine’s next fight: Dricus Du Plessis
Wiliam Gomis
William Gomis extended his winning streak to a perfect four in a row with his split decision victory over Joanderson Brito at UFC Paris. Questionable decision or not, a win is a win. And Gomis got the win.
That victory was massive for Gomis as he has faced three fight cancellations, including one due to weight cutting complications, in the lead up to this bout.
Gomis should fight Chepe Mariscal next. 4-0 vs. 4-0. Gomis has been finding a way to win so a fight with a guy like Chepe makes a lot of sense. Mariscal is scrappy and holds impressive wins over guys like Trevor Peek, Jack Jenkins, Morgan Carriere and most recently Damon Jackson.
William’s next fight: Chepe Mariscal
Bryan Battle
Bryan Battle walked through his French opposition, Kevin Jousset, at UFC Paris, dispatching him in two rounds with a hail of fists. The stoppage earned Battle a cool 50k. And it should earn him a good boost in the rankings as he 6-1 in the UFC with 1 NC against Ange Loosa in March (which was going his way till a second-round eye poke).
As usual, welterweight is crowded. But as a TUF winner, with mic skills and the capable stand up striking that he has, a solid opportunity should be on the horizon for Bryan.
Battle is about another two impressive wins from being ranked in the welterweight division. With that being said, Battle’s next fight should be against Khaos Williams. Williams has a similar record to Battle as he’s 6-2 in the UFC. His only losses in the UFC are two tough guys in Michel Pereira and Randy Brown. Plus, Khaos has scary power in his hands. This would be a great test for Battle to see if he’s ready for that next tier.
Bryan’s next fight: Khaos Williams
Morgan Charriere
Morgan Charriere put an abrupt stoppage to his fight with Gabriel Miranda with his fists on Saturday. It didn’t even take thirty seconds into the second round.
Win or lose, it doesn’t seem to matter as Charriere has looked great in the UFC thus far. Full stop. He’s looked like an incredibly exciting, skilled and explosive fighter. And it’s shown in Morgan’s paychecks as he has made 150k extra in bonuses since joining the UFC last September.
Julio Arce would be a good fight for Charriere. Arce is a 10-fight UFC vet that is product of the 2017 season of the Contender Series. Arce has won three of his last five fights including his most recent bout back in March against Herbert Burns. Arce is the fight to make, and he will likely stay at featherweight for his next fight.
Morgan’s next fight: Julio Arce
Fares Ziam
Fares Ziam steamrolled Matt Frevolla with a crafty knee from clinch range to stop the fight in the final round of their bout. Ziam is now on a hot streak and has won four fights in a row since his February of 2022 loss to Terrance McKinney. This victory was his first finish on the win streak, and he rightfully earned a performance bonus for his handy work.
In his next fight, Fares Ziam should take on Drakkar Klose. Klose is also riding a four-fight win streak in the UFC. He was last in the octagon back in May with a unanimous decision victory over Joaquim Silva. Klose’s 2023 slam KO of Joe Solecki also has a similar big finish feel to Ziam’s win over Frevolla.
Fares’ next fight: Drakkar Klose
