Following a three-round, FOTN war against Mason Jones, Sola looked to counter the tricky striking of Bonfim, who was desperate for a win after dropping three of his last four.

Round 1- Sola started the fight with a pair of big body kicks before circling out, where Bonfim threw a combination into a takedown attempt. Sola defended the shot and started lighting up Bonfim with downward elbows as he pressed his head into his hips, leading to the ref warning Bonfim. Bonfim stayed pressed in this single leg position pushing for a takedown, but was losing the round as the elbows added up. After a flurry of elbows, Bonfim droped to the canvas and was clearly stunned. Sola looked to lock in an anaconda, but was unable to secure the grip. Bonfim began panic wrestling on his back, looking to scramble and evade the incoming damage. Sola rolled with him and locked in a slick D’arce, tapping Bonfim with seconds left in the round.

The Frenchman bounces back impressively while improving to 2-1 in the UFC.

Official Result: Axel Sola def. Ismael Bonfim by submission (D’arce choke), Round 1, 4:44

The post UFC Abu Dhabi: Axel Sola Locks in Slick D’Arce Choke, Hands Bonfim Third-Straight Loss appeared first on Cageside Press.

Well, not quite. Still, Brando Peričić will have to settle for a $25,000 finishing bonus, as he was not one of two Performance of the Night bonus winners on a ho-hum card at the O2 Arena in London, England on Saturday.

Instead, it was newcomer Shanelle Dyer and Judoka Iwo Baraniewski claiming Performance bonuses at the Fight Night event. Dyer kicked off the card (almost literally), landing a head kick on a slightly overweight Ravena Oliveira then putting her away with a knee and punches to start the night. That got Londoners on their feet, and seemed to set the table for a big night, only for a couple of plodding decisions to stall momentum throughout the evening.

Peričić and Danny Silva were bright spots and also had TKO finishes on the card, but it was Poland’s Baraniewski who truly stunned, putting away former heavyweight Austen Lane in just 28 seconds in a 205lb scrap.

Fight of the Night honors, meanwhile, went to Mason Jones and Axel Sola. The fight left Sola bloodied and needing multiple stitches, in particular to close up a nasty gash on his face.

All four bonus winners pocket $100,000 for their efforts. Bonuses were announced by UFC CEO and President Dana White at the night’s post-fight press conference. White listed 18,000 in attendance for a $4.5 million U.S. gate.

The post Mason Jones-Axel Sola Firefight Earns Fight of the Night at UFC London appeared first on Cageside Press.

Nassourdine Imavov

With the middleweight division booming, the UFC seemingly set up an unofficial tournament between the four main contenders to see whose performance would stand out of the pack. The first of those matchups was between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho. While the Frenchman was in control the entire fight, it’s not like he put on the type of show that will raise his profile dramatically. Additionally, he mentioned a foot injury in his post-fight interview. Now, was that just an attempt at saving face for not getting even close to a finish or a genuine explanation for how the fight played out? I guess we won’t know, but with the way the fight looked combined with a potential injury, there are valid reasons to doubt Imavov’s chances at being the next title challenger.

However, Imavov was already the most deserving challenger when he knocked out Israel Adesanya in February. Add to that a clean victory over a rising Borralho who hadn’t lost in 10 years? As of right now, there’s no question he has earned his title shot.

Imavov’s next fight: Title shot

Benoit Saint Denis

After a rough 2024 capped off by a true ass-kicking in front of his own crowd, Saint Denis was looking to gain back some of that momentum he had back in 2023. He first bounced back in May (at UFC 315, beating Kyle Prepolec) and was now facing the highly touted Mauricio Ruffy. After dominating the opening round, BSD got the fight back down to the mat and found a rear-naked choke along the fence. Now winner of back-to-back fights, Saint Denis called out Arman Tsarukyan and Mateusz Gamrot for a fight at Madison Square Garden. While I think Tsarukyan is a long shot, Gamrot is a very smart and realistic callout. Enough so that I don’t mind at all fulfilling his wish.

Saint Denis’ next fight: Mateusz Gamrot

Modestas Bukauskas

After fighting his way back to the promotion, The Baltic Gladiator was looking to go 6-1 since joining the UFC again in 2023. There’s no doubt putting the veteran Paul Craig out with a buzzer-beating elbow is Bukauskas’ most important win to date. Now winner of four straight, he has built a case for a shot at the rankings. I think any of Johnny Walker, Zhang Mingyang and Alonzo Menifield are fine options, but I went with Nikita Krylov. On the wrong end of two straight knockout losses, Krylov needs a step back in competition and Bukauskas represents that type of test he needs at this moment in time.

Bukauskas’ next fight: Nikita Krylov

Mason Jones

After going 1-2 (1) in his first UFC stint, it’s easy to forget that at 30 years of age, Mason Jones is only now entering the prime of his career. He suffered losses to Mike Davis and Ludovit Klein as a 25 and 27-year-old and his sole win for over David Onama, a now top15-ranked featherweight. The Welsh fighter was now looking to add to his successful comeback in May against Jeremy Stephens. He overcame a scare in the first round and got the TKO finish in the second after getting to full mount. Why not put Jones up against another lightweight prospect on his second UFC stint? China’s Rongzhu is also on a two-fight win streak after going 1-2 in his first run. Let’s see which of the two can keep their streak going.

Jones’ next fight: Rongzhu

Axel Sola

The undefeated 27-year-old Sola was making his UFC debut as one of the bigger prospects on the French MMA scene. With a former Ares champion with four title defences facing a former two-time Cage Warriors champion, it was the Frenchman Sola who came out on top. After a back-and-forth in the first two rounds, Sola’s knockdown and follow up shots forced Herb Dean to step in despite the fact that McKee was working his way back up. Stoppage controversy aside, it was a successful debut for the prospect Sola. With the adversity McKee offered, there’s no reason to rush Sola up the queue. I think someone like the veteran Song Kenan would be an appropriate test for where Sola is at, right now.

Sola’s next fight: Song Kenan

William Gomis

After suffering his first UFC setback in March, the Frenchman Gomis was welcoming KSW champion Robert Ruchala. It looked like what we’ve come to expect from Gomis: a technical yet tepid decision. Getting the win is always the most important thing, but Gomis has yet to produce a signature highlight in the now three years since he joined the promotion. For that reason, I doubt he will be rewarded with a name any bigger than Ruchala’s. I think Andre Fili, who’s coming off a win from a month ago, is exactly the kind of name the UFC will be looking at.

Gomis’ next fight: Andre Fili

The post What’s Next: UFC Paris Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

McKee was on his second stint in the promotion but had struggled in both stints, with just one win in five fights.

Round one opened with a head kick from Sola, but it was going to take more than that to trouble McKee. Sola was sharper out of the gate, landing a quick straight left, while McKee, when he finally let his hands go, carried more power behind his shots. Sola’s speed showed in a slick level change into a takedown, but McKee’s size advantage allowed him to bounce right back up. Against the fence, Sola tried tripping him back down, but it seemed like wasted energy. McKee stayed composed, dealing the heavier damage even while defending his back. Eventually, he turned into Sola and reset, but there wasn’t much time left for either man to capitalize.

In round two, Sola came out firing with quick, sharp punches. McKee’s presence was a problem though, with every strike carrying more weight. Sola was forced to dart in and out, landing his shots before McKee could find him. Sola connected nicely with a right hook over the top, slipping away afterward. McKee began loading up on his punches, giving Sola chances to read and defend. As the round wound down, McKee pressed forward aggressively, while Sola dug to the body with slick hooks and kept his head movement sharp.

The final round saw McKee come out aggressive again, letting his hands fly as he tried to trap Sola. But Sola’s defense was on point, moving laterally and slipping off the centerline. A head kick from Sola landed clean, followed by a vicious left hook to the body. Moments later, another body shot (this time an uppercut) dropped McKee. Sola pounced with follow-up punches, forcing Herb Dean to step in for the stoppage, perhaps a touch early.

Official Result: Axel Sola def. Rhys McKee by TKO (punches), Round 3, 2:02

The post UFC Paris: Axel Sola Stops Rhys McKee in Impressive Debut appeared first on Cageside Press.

Axel Sola
Standing at five-foot-eleven
Fighting at 155 lbs (lightweight)
27-years-old
Fighting out of Nice, France
Training out of Boxing Squad
A pro record of 10-0-1
5 KO/TKOs, 1 Submission

The UFC landed a strong signing for the France card with former ARES FC lightweight champion Axel Sola. His road here hasn’t been easy; he’s been dropped, taken down, and had his cardio tested deep into fights, but each time he’s shown composure and found answers. That ability to respond to adversity has been a key driver of his success.

Sola is a versatile fighter, but his clearest path to victory lies on the feet. A talented southpaw striker, he makes excellent use of his lead jab and punishes opponents with rear kicks to both levels. His hand fighting and foot positioning allow him to control range, set traps, and open striking lanes. Offensively and defensively, he’s sharp, with precise straight punches, smart lateral movement, and the ability to counter when caught. He’s also effective in the clinch, landing knees and elbows from the Thai plum, while grinding out control through underhooks and head positioning.

Defensively, Sola’s wrestling stands out. He fights hands well, uses underhooks and a strong whizzer, and when taken down, he’s quick to scramble back to his feet. Offensively, he mixes in clinch takedowns and chains them together, complementing his striking with steady ground-and-pound. While his grappling isn’t as polished as his striking, he’s a solid positional fighter and well-rounded overall.

The biggest question mark is his cardio. Though he’s gone the distance multiple times and fought into deep rounds in most of his career bouts, he does slow down later. Interestingly, fatigue often makes him press harder, sometimes leaving him hittable, but also creating finishing opportunities.

All things considered, Sola is a high-level addition to the lightweight roster. His technical depth, adaptability, and grit make him a prospect who could stick around the UFC for years to come.

His fight with Rhys McKee is a big test because he is a bigger, more durable physical striker. McKee is 1-4 in the UFC, and the only guy he’s beaten was an untested Daniel Frunza. Sola is the better technical and well-rounded fighter. He has good experience, but McKee even more so. I wouldn’t be surprised if McKee was able to drop Sola and win off damage. Sola mixing in takedowns would be ideal because McKee does struggle in that area. I line this fight as a pick-em but am picking Sola because he has more ways to win

The post Welcome to the UFC: Axel Sola appeared first on Cageside Press.

This time out, we’ll start off with the women’s strawweight division, and move on from there.

Strawweight, Huaxiang Dong (9-2)

Dong was not on my radar before but definitely is now. Dong started off her MMA career 1-3 and hasn’t lost since, winning eight fights in a row. She’s been fighting for WLF MMA for the last four years and is their current strawweight title holder. Dong is following in the footsteps of countrywoman Weili Zhang.

Like a lot of mixed martial artists fighting over in China, Dong is super young with a lot of experience. It’s tough to find all her fights but there is enough to get a good read on Dong. The best way to describe Dong is a wrestler that is more than comfortable striking.

Being as good as a wrestler as she is, Dong isn’t the type to have it be her main purpose. Dong does a great job lulling opponents with her striking until they are comfortable striking and that’s when Dong will shoot. You don’t see a lot of good wrestlers come from China and Dong possesses just that. She times level changes well and once she gets to the inside her physicality shows. Just in the clinch Dong can sling girls around and when she gets in on the hips she will elevate her opponents.

At times when striking Dong can be too willing to engage and her head sits on the centerline. When she’s not overzealous her movement going in and out and her reactive head movement is really good. Her striking is aggressive and although she can be more technical she makes up for it with volume. She comes from both sides of her opponent too so if you let her push you back it’s not going to go well.

I like Dong a lot and the longer she keeps fighting in China, she’s going to get better and better. Dong is still very young so the sky is the limit. Her wrestling alone would give a lot of girls up the rankings trouble.

The post Blind Reacting to Five MMA Prospects Vol. 4 appeared first on Cageside Press.