KSW featherweight and former champ Robert Ruchala made his promotional debut at UFC Paris, taking on France’s own William Gomis.
The Polish star was one of four big debuts on the night, and would have been one of five had Losene Keita not missed weight.
Gomis opened the fight with a heavy kickboxing approach, firing off body kicks and long strikes. Ruchala responded in kind, throwing his own kicks and charging forward with volume. Gomis’s footwork allowed him to slip most of the early blitzes, but when Ruchala closed distance, he secured a clean body-lock takedown. The control was short-lived, as Gomis quickly scrambled back to his feet. With his back on the cage, Gomis absorbed some pressure before breaking free and digging in a sharp kick to the body. In the closing minute, Gomis kept targeting the midsection with kicks, building momentum as the round ended.
Round two began with both fighters trading kicks immediately. Gomis found openings with body shots, while Ruchala kept looking for takedowns to drag the fight into close quarters. At one point, Gomis caught a kick and countered with a crisp right hand. Ruchala stayed committed to the grind, muscling Gomis to the fence and eventually hitting a trip to put him on his back. From top position, Ruchala worked with heavy head pressure and short punches to the ribs, but Gomis stayed composed and scooted to the cage, working back to his feet before the horn. Just before the bell, Gomis unleashed a spinning body kick and even fired high with a head kick attempt.
In the final round, Gomis went back to his long-range weapons including jabs, teeps, and low kicks, though nothing landed clean early. He mixed targets well, forcing Ruchala to wade through damage to get inside. Ruchala continued to hunt the body with naked back kicks and clinch entries, but Gomis countered with leg kicks and straight shots whenever he reset at range. Midway through, Ruchala surprised him with a head kick that wrapped around the guard and landed flush, giving him a surge of momentum. Gomis answered back instantly, snapping a left hand that visibly stunned Ruchala. Smelling the moment, Gomis shot in himself, scoring a takedown to seal the fight.
The scorecards had it in favor of Gomis, giving him a unanimous decision win.
Official Result: William Gomis def. Robert Ruchala by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
