UFC Paris Fight Card Preview, Odds, Start Time & FAQ: 12 Huge Bouts

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28 August 2023

UFC Paris Fight Card Preview, Odds, Start Time & FAQ: 12 Huge Bouts

After a successful night in Singapore over the weekend, UFC Paris (UFC on ESPN+ 84) is the next major MMA event on the horizon. The biggest stars of the UFC today invade Accor Arena in Paris, France this Saturday for an exciting 12-fight card that you won’t want to miss.

Betting News has assembled a UFC Paris preview ahead of Saturday afternoon’s event. Keep reading to find the latest odds for the dozen upcoming fights, as well as some background information on each bout and an FAQ with everything you need to know.

UFC Singapore Fight Card and Odds (Odds via BetOnline as of Monday, August 28)

UFC Paris Main Event: Ciryl Gane (-165) vs. Sergey Spivak (+142)

All eyes will be on the UFC Paris main event as former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane (11-2) takes on Sergey Spivak (16-3) in hard-hitting action.

Gane will be out to prove his worth this weekend. After a flawless 10-0 run to begin his career, “Bon Gamin” has dropped two of his last three fights. We most recently saw him take on Jon Jones for the vacant UFC Heavyweight title at UFC 285, but Gane couldn’t get the job done, losing via submission in Round 1.

Meanwhile, Spivak has been one of the heavyweight division’s most dangerous fighters, going 6-1 in his last seven outings. He’s won each of his last three fights by some form of finish, including when he most recently defeated Derrick Lewis via first-round submission back in February.

Spivak has never challenged for the heavyweight title before, meaning a win over Gane would bring him one step closer to that goal.

UFC Paris Co-Main Event: Manon Fiorot (-175) vs. Rose Namajunas (+150)

France’s Manon Fiorot (10-1) aims for the biggest win of her career when she collides with former two-time UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas (11-5).

Fiorot hasn’t looked out of place since making her UFC debut in January 2021. She’s been victorious in her first five fights under the promotion’s umbrella, winning the first two by TKO before emerging victorious via unanimous decision in the last three.

On the flip side, Namajunas is determined to get back on track after losing the strawweight gold to Carla Esparza at UFC 274. Although the 31-year-old veteran hasn’t fought since then (15 months), it’s worth noting that she’s still 6-2 in her last eight fights.

Lightweight: Benoit Saint-Denis (-155) vs. Thiago Moises (+135)

UFC Paris also includes lightweight action on the main card, pitting Benoit Saint-Denis (11-1, 1NC) head-to-head against Thiago Moises (17-6).

Although a loss in his UFC debut was concerning, Saint-Denis is officially back to form. The dangerous Frenchman has rattled off three consecutive victories ahead of Saturday night, finishing each of those foes within six minutes and 32 seconds.

At the same time, Moises shouldn’t be underestimated after tallying back-to-back victories. He overcame Christos Giagos by submission at UFC Vegas 57 before going on to submit Melquizael Costa to begin 2023.

Lightweight: Volkan Oezdemir (-180) vs. Bogdan Guskov (+155)

Volkan Oezdemir (18-7) returns to the octagon for the first time in 10 months to clash with Bogan Guskov (14-2) in a lightweight contest. The former was initially supposed to face Azamat Murzakanov, who mysteriously withdrew from the fight.

Nevertheless, Oezdemir needs a win after dropping three of his last four fights. Considering how he hasn’t competed since last October, it’ll be interesting to see what “No Time” has left in the tank.

At the same time, Guskov looks dangerous heading into his UFC debut. He’s demonstrated a reliable finishing ability over the last few years, winning each of his last four bouts via first-round KO/TKO.

Lightweight: William Gomis (-152) vs. Lucas Almeida (+132)

A second main card lightweight fight at UFC Paris sees William Gomis (12-2) clashing with Lucas Almeida (14-2).

Gomis has been absolutely electric, emerging victorious in each of his last 10 fights. That successful run includes a 2-0 record in the UFC following wins over Jarno Errens and Francis Marshall, defeating the duo by majority and split decision, respectively.

Almeida, meanwhile, looks to restart a winning streak of his own. Despite looking good in his UFC debut back in June 2022, he couldn’t follow that victory up in the subsequent bout, having lost to Pat Sabatini (via submission) just two months ago.

Bantamweight: Yanis Ghemmouri (+255) vs. Caolan Loughran (-305)

The debuting Yanis Ghemmouri (12-1) has an uphill battle Saturday afternoon in the form of the undefeated Caolan Loughran (8-0).

Loughran has proven to be a finishing machine throughout his four-year MMA career. The talented Irishman has an 87.5% finish rate in his first eight fights, which includes knocking out each of his last four opponents.

At the same time, Ghemmouri is riding a nine-fight winning streak into Paris. He’s coming off back-to-back TKO victories over Bair Shtepin and Mehmosh Raza over in BRAVE CF, leaving time to tell if he can handle the UFC spotlight.

UFC Paris Preliminary Card Odds

Featherweight: Morgan Charriere (-300) vs. Manolo Zecchini (+250)

The UFC Paris preliminary card has its fair share of lopsided odds, including when it comes to the featherweight fight between Morgan Charriere (18-9-1) and Manolo Zecchini (11-3).

Charriere makes his debut on a three-fight winning streak, convincingly winning his latest two outings by TKO. Meanwhile, Zecchini also guns for his first-ever UFC victory following back-to-back KO victories in Venator FC.

Bantamweight: Taylor Lapilus (-185) vs. Muin Gafurov (+160)

Taylor Lapilus (18-3) makes his highly anticipated return this weekend to take on the always-tough Muin Gafurov (18-5).

Lapilus boasts a 4-0 career record in Paris, which includes most recently defeating Demarte Pena for the vacant AFC Bantamweight Championship in April 2022. Standing in his way of another win is Gafurov, who’s coming off a UD loss to John Castaneda three months ago.

Women’s Bantamweight: Zarah Fairn (+330) vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti (-400)

Jacqueline Cavalcanti (5-1) is the clear-cut favorite when she squares off with Zarah Fairn (6-5) this weekend.

Cavalcanti is another fighter making her debut this weekend after winning two of her last three fights by knockout. Meanwhile, Fairn has been experiencing the opposite result, having tasted defeat in each of her three previous outings.

Women’s Bantamweight: Joselyne Edwards (-115) vs. Nora Cornolle (-105)

The upcoming bantamweight fight between Joselyn Edwards (13-4) and Nora Cornolle (6-1) is shaping up to be one that could go either way.

After a brief skid, Edwards is back on track with wins in each of her last three contests. While that’s impressive, Cornolle is also 6-0 with five TKO victories in her six previous fights.

Welterweight: Ange Loosa (+157) vs. Rhys McKee (-182)

Another early UFC Paris bout features Ange Loosa (9-3) and Rhys McKee (13-4-1) getting together for a welterweight scrap.

Loosa made his PPV debut in style last summer, overcoming A.J. Fletcher via unanimous decision at UFC 278. Meanwhile, McKee returns after a three-year hiatus that saw him rack up a trio of KO/TKO victories.

Bantamweight: Farid Basharat (-310) vs. Kleydson Rodrigues (+260)

Lastly, Farid Basharat (10-0) is set to go one-on-one with Kleydson Rodrigues (8-2) in a bantamweight battle.

Basharat remained flawless at UFC 285 with a UD victory over Da'Mon Blackshear following three exciting rounds. Standing in his way of another victory is Rodrigues, who only needed 59 seconds to knock Shannon Ross out back in February.