[THE_LOCKSMITH]

ESPN+ 3:00 pm ET
Ciryl Gane vs. Tai Tuivasa
Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori
Alessio Di Chirico vs. Roman Kopylov
Nasrat Haqparast vs. John Makdessi
Khalid Taha vs. Cristian Quinonez
Charles Jourdain vs. Nathaniel Wood

ESPN+ 12:00 pm ET
Abusupiyan Magomedov vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
Michal Figlak vs. Fares Ziam
Joaquin Buckley vs. Nassourdine Imavov
Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Gabriel Miranda
Christian Quinonez vs Khalid Taha
Ailin Perez vs. Stephanie Egger
Danny Henry vs. Ricardo Ramos
Jarno Errens vs William Gomis

[JC2008]

Gane sub.

[Brandt Moat]

Going with Vettori. Odds have fallen a bit. Made some bank on Whittaker, just think he has made his last run to the top. I like Jourdain. He needs to put a full fight together. He is a full can of whip azz if he can stay on his feet. GL Will be sitting this one out. Got peeled last card-need to regroup.

[JIBBBY]

Prelim write ups - MMA MANIA




145 lbs.: Stephanie Egger vs. Ailin Perez

Stephanie Egger (7-3) pushed her UFC record over .500 with consecutive finishes of Shanna Young and Jessica-Rose Clark, the latter of which earned “Performance of the Night.” Then came a hugely controversial loss to Mayra Bueno Silva in which Egger was accused of trying to fake a tap.
She steps in for Zarah Fairn on nine days’ notice.
Ailin Perez (7-1) got off to a 5-0 pro start before a disqualification loss to Tamires Vidal in Nov. 2021. “Fiona” went on to go 2-0 in 2022, both wins via stoppage. Her five pro stoppage wins include four by knockout.
I thought Perez had a very good chance of beating Fairn, who got dominated on the ground by Megan Anderson of all people. Egger, on the other hand, is going to crush her. Perez’s offense largely revolves around the clinch, where Egger’s judo reigns supreme, and “Fiona” hasn’t shown the Brazilian jiu-jitsu or striking chops to even the score elsewhere.
Odds are that Egger comes out looking to prove a point, which is very bad news for Perez. In the end, Egger goes some ways toward erasing the memory of her last fight with an early throw and quick tapout.
Prediction: Egger via first round submission
Related
Up Next! Gane Vs. Tuivasa In Paris!

145 lbs.: William Gomis vs. Jarno Errens

Once 2-2 in his professional career, William Gomis (10-2) enters the Octagon with six finishes in his last eight wins. This most recent of those came in June 2022, when he pounded out Jose Marcos in his Ares FC debut.
“Jaguar” has knocked out six professional foes and submitted one other.
The Netherlands’ Jarno Errens (13-3-1) saw a five-fight unbeaten streak come to an end in April 2022 when he lost a decision to former victim Mert Ozyildirim. He got back on track four months later, beating Alisher Abdullaev under the Brave CF banner.
This marks a less-than-one-month turnaround for him.
This really is a question of which Gomis shows up. The one who ran literal circles around the ultra-aggressive Tobias Harila last year almost certainly does the same to Errens, who’s on the wrong end of speed and power discrepancies. The one who plodded his way through his two 2022 bouts, backing himself to the fence and swinging for one-hitter quitters instead of setting anything up, eats 100 one-two combinations and loses a decision.
I’ll be an optimist and say the former shows up because it’s a huge stage and Errens is the level of opponent Gomis puts in effort against. In short, body kicks, low kicks and constant lateral movement should seal the deal for “Jaguar.”
Prediction: Gomis via unanimous decision
Related
UFC Paris Official For Sept. 3

185 lbs.: Dustin Stoltzfus vs. Abusupiyan Magomedov

Dustin Stoltzfus (14-4) went from slam KO’ing Joseph Pyfer on Contender Series to losing three straight in the Octagon, two of them by submission. He finally returned to the win column in July 2022 with a unanimous decision win over Dwight Grant.
He steps in for Makhmud Muradov on short notice.
Abusupiyan Magomedov (24-4-1) carried a 10-fight unbeaten streak into the 2018 PFL finals, only to suffer a one-punch knockout loss to Louis Taylor just 33 seconds into the fight. He’s since gotten back on track with a pair of submission wins, the most recent of them over then-unbeaten Cezary Kesik under the KSW banner.
Saturday’s bout ends a nearly two-year layoff for “Abus.”
Stoltzfus’ problem is, as always, that his wrestling is a level below his top game. His jiu-jitsu and ground-and-pound skills aren’t worth much when UFC-caliber opponents can shut down his takedowns and put him on his back in return. He can get away with it against the likes of Grant, but not a grappler of Magomedov’s caliber. Even if they deadlock and switch to a striking battle, Magomedov’s got a clear edge in power.
While Magomedov’s layoff is cause for concern, I’d favor even the PFL version of him to overpower Stoltzfus on the feet and on the ground. Indeed, “Abus” wrenches Stoltzfus to the mat and pounds him out before any potential cardio issues can crop up.
Prediction: Magomedov via first round technical knockout
Related
UFC Paris Loses Fight Via Toilet Accident

155 lbs.: Fares Ziam vs. Michal Figlak

Unfazed by a UFC debut loss to Don Madge, Fares Ziam (12-4) worked his way back up the ranks with consecutive decisions over Jamie Mullarkey and Luigi Vendramini. This set up a clash with Terrance McKinney, who choked out “Smile Killer” midway through the first round.
His professional finishes are split 5/4 between submissions and knockouts.
Michal Figlak (8-0) — a former 10-2 amateur — picked up a pair of regional professional wins before returning to Cage Warriors. He ultimately amassed a perfect record (5-0) under its banner, including a decision over Agy Sardari in July 2022.
He gives up two inches of height to Ziam.
As we’ve seen, there are types of fighters that Ziam’s movement-heavy, low-output style can work against. However, Figlak isn’t one of them. That’s because between his relentless forward advance, rapid combination punching, and sneaky grappling game, “Mad Dog” has everything he needs to ruin Ziam’s day the way Madge and McKinney did.
Ziam is still young and clearly has talent, but if he hasn’t fixed his lack of urgency by now, I’m not sure he ever will. In short, Figlak bullies and out-works Ziam to a one-sided decision.
Prediction: Figlak via unanimous decision



155 lbs.: Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Gabriel Miranda

The UFC debut for Benoit Saint-Denis (9-1) ended in disaster, suffering one of the nastier beatings in recent memory at the hands of Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. “God of War” dropped to 155 pounds for his second Octagon bout, a second-round submission finish of Niklas Stolze.
All of his wins have come inside the distance, eight via submission.
Gabriel Miranda (16-5) started his professional career 1-2 before embarking on his current run, which has seen him end all of his wins via stoppage. He currently sits at 7-1 in his last eight, most recently scoring a 75-second submission in Oct. 2021.
He steps in for Christos Giagos on around two weeks’ notice.
Saint-Denis erased the vast majority of my doubts in that win over Stolze, and he might have an even easier time here. Going by Miranda’s fights in Brave CF, Saint-Denis badly out-classes “Fly” in both the striking and the wrestling. Miranda’s key weapon is his Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but Saint-Denis is more than capable of keeping up with him on the ground, especially when “God of War “will be dictating where the fight takes place.
Outside of landing an out-of-nowhere, quick-kill submission, Miranda’s avenues to victory are sorely limited. In short, Saint-Denis dominates wherever the fight goes.
Prediction: Saint-Denis via unanimous decision
Related
Up Next! Gane Vs. Tuivasa In Paris!

135 lbs.: Christian Quinonez vs. Khalid Taha

Christian Quinonez (16-3) claimed the UWC Bantamweight title with a dominant decision over Donny Matos in Feb. 2021. Eight months later, he defeated Xiao Long on Contender Series to secure a UFC contract.
“Problema” replaces local favorite Taylor Lapilus on nine days’ notice.
Khalid Taha (13-4) bounced back from an unsuccessful UFC debut with two straight stoppage wins, only for a failed drug test to overturn one of them and force a yearlong stay on the sidelines. He’s yet to recapture that success, dropping consecutive decisions to Raoni Barcelos and Sergey Morozov.
He fights for the first time in more than 13 months.
Any reference to Taha’s poor UFC record has to come with the asterisk that he’s faced some serious competition. From moving up in weight to fight a smothering grappler in Nad Narimani to taking on top-notch Bantamweight threats in Barcelos and Morozov, he’s been very short on gimmes in the Octagon.
I do, however, think Quinonez has a shot here. “Problema’s” footwork and output seem like solid weapons against Taha, who can be over-reliant on swinging big power shots. It’s easy to picture Quinonez tearing up his lead leg and peppering him with long punches between Taha’s bursts of offense. It’s also easy to picture Taha landing his own hard leg kicks and catching Quinonez as the latter tries to lean away from punches, but not as easy. In the end, Quinonez threads the needle for a narrow victory.
Prediction: Quinonez via unanimous decision

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Going with Vettori. Odds have fallen a bit. Made some bank on Whittaker, just think he has made his last run to the top. I like Jourdain. He needs to put a full fight together. He is a full can of whip azz if he can stay on his feet. GL Will be sitting this one out. Got peeled last card-need to regroup.

Whittaker's movement will be too much for the plodding Vettori.

The only way I can see Vettori winning is if he can get takedowns and control him on the ground for a lay and pray decision or possible submission.

Whittaker by decision.

[hankcream]

Buckley looked great in his last fight and he has better cardio than Phil Hawes who beat Imavov for 2 rounds but gassed out in the 3rd and still won the decision. At +220 Buckley looks like a live dog, he is a head case but I'm throwing a $100 on him.

[JC2008]

Egger sub +225

[Thor4140]

Is the co main event a five rounder?

[JC2008]

Is the co main event a five rounder?

No.

[JIBBBY]

I think Vettori at +190 is a solid dog.

Pavy may have a point in the above post but I think Vettori is tough as nails with an iron chin and always game in fights. Whittiker just got KO'd in his last fight. Whittiker may be rattled mentally and vulnerable now.

[Thrilla]

Memay finally legal in France ha?

[Thrilla]

I think Vettori at +190 is a solid dog.

Pavy may have a point in the above post but I think Vettori is tough as nails with an iron chin and always game in fights. Whittiker just got KO'd in his last fight. Whittiker may be rattled mentally and vulnerable now.

What Pavy? I do not see a pavyracer post in this thread yet. You mean jakepeavy21? That's not Pavy.

+ it's ok to quote him as there are many post inbetween in what you say above post. Get your fukking shit right..allz I'm sayin

[JIBBBY]

What Pavy? I do not see a pavyracer post in this thread yet. You mean jakepeavy21? That's not Pavy.

+ it's ok to quote him as there are many post inbetween in what you say above post. Get your fukking shit right..allz I'm sayin

Yes I ment Jake you liberal prick bastard. Thanks for the correction.

[Brandt Moat]

Good Luck! I don't have any skin in it.

Whittaker's movement will be too much for the plodding Vettori.

The only way I can see Vettori winning is if he can get takedowns and control him on the ground for a lay and pray decision or possible submission.

Whittaker by decision.

[DiggityDaggityDo]

Memay finally legal in France ha?

It has been for a couple years now.

Bellator has had two events there since 2020.

[JC2008]

I think Vettori at +190 is a solid dog.

Pavy may have a point in the above post but I think Vettori is tough as nails with an iron chin and always game in fights. Whittiker just got KO'd in his last fight. Whittiker may be rattled mentally and vulnerable now.

What? Whittaker's last fight was a decision loss to Izzy. After winning 3 straight decisions. I agree on the rest though. Vettori dec +350

[JIBBBY]

What? Whittaker's last fight was a decision loss to Izzy. After winning 3 straight decisions. I agree on the rest though. Vettori dec +350

First fight my bad. I had a mental lapse there. I still like Vettori though as the big dog going in.

[JIBBBY]

Early start time tomorrow which I hate. Get your rest in beeeeootches!

[DiggityDaggityDo]

Let’s see how much I can lose this event.

Don’t forget to wake up early and make French toast tomorrow, fellas.

Or order McDonalds and get french fries delivered in a remote control heat box, JIBBY!!!


Copy/Pasta Al Tono from my thread:

This is my complete UFC Paris card.




UFC Paris




0.5u Ailin Perez +208


0.1u Khalid Taha in Round 3 by KO/TKO or DQ +1500


0.9u Wins Inside Distance - Benoit Saint-Denis -140


0.3u Wins Inside Distance - Michal Figlak +300


1.1u Jourdain -130


0.4u John Makdessi +201


0.1u Wins Inside Distance - Roman Kopylov +365
0.1u Alessio Di Chirico by Points +190


0.4u Vettori +180

0.25u Tai Tuivasa by KO, TKO or DQ +600
0.1u Ciryl Gane wins in round 3 +750
0.1u Ciryl Gane wins in round 4 +950
0.1u Ciryl Gane wins in round 5 +1250


1.15u Parlay
Benoit Saint-Denis -275
Abusupiyan Magomedov -270
(-115)


0.75u Parlay
Nassourdine Imavov -250
William Gomis -225
(+102)


0.80u Parlay
Michal Figlak -212
Vettori/Robert Whittaker over 2½ -280
(+100)

[Thrilla]

That's right clowns. Remote controlled heat box...Not robot.

[Thrilla]

Memay finally legal in France ha?

It has been for a couple years now.

Bellator has had two events there since 2020.

Top answers on Quora:

The reason it was criminalized is 90% the French judo federation, which is radically against the sport of MMA. Why? Mostly because of business and personal interests. They are afraid that many promising students would prefer MMA over judo and since judo is one of the last traditional martial arts that the Frenchmen are having a good reputation at, they are afraid by MMA.

A few years back, the head of the judo federation even stated that if a judo teacher trains a MMA fighter, he’d be banned from judo for the rest of his life. They are ultimately afraid of losing relevancy in the world of sports.

https://www.quora.com/Why-is-MMA-ill..._ans=165531281

[Brandt Moat]

Nice to know. Sound like a buncha pucies. That's right they are! Except St. Denis he is a fookn monster!

[Thor4140]

I think Vettori at +190 is a solid dog.

Pavy may have a point in the above post but I think Vettori is tough as nails with an iron chin and always game in fights. Whittiker just got KO'd in his last fight. Whittiker may be rattled mentally and vulnerable now.

jibbers i really liked this play too if it was five rounds but three is a risk. Bobby knuckles is hard to take down and that is the only way Vettori beats him by wearing him out. i figure in five he has the shot. i even bet him a month ago but seeing it is three if this JC clown is right, it means it is time to bail. good luck my good pal.

[JIBBBY]

Ok up and watching! Let's go!

I'm going Gane by decision myself in the main. I think he will dance and move but not finish. Wild guess here. Trying to beat the odds in this bet. See what sticks?

[JIBBBY]

jibbers i really liked this play too if it was five rounds but three is a risk. Bobby knuckles is hard to take down and that is the only way Vettori beats him by wearing him out. i figure in five he has the shot. i even bet him a month ago but seeing it is three if this JC clown is right, it means it is time to bail. good luck my good pal.

Thor being nice to me for once. I like that, shocked to see that..

Good luck man with your bets today on this card!

[DiggityDaggityDo]

Bout time Jibby woke up

[JC2008]

jibbers i really liked this play too if it was five rounds but three is a risk. Bobby knuckles is hard to take down and that is the only way Vettori beats him by wearing him out. i figure in five he has the shot. i even bet him a month ago but seeing it is three if this JC clown is right, it means it is time to bail. good luck my good pal.

If I'm right? I have no action on the fight. But Denis round 2 +500 just cashed so that works.

[JIBBBY]

bout time jibby woke up

Woke!!

[JIBBBY]

French fighters fired up and representing.

[DiggityDaggityDo]

French fighters fired up and representing.

Where were these guys during WW2?

[JIBBBY]

Where were these guys during WW2?

Lol.

[JIBBBY]

That was a steam roll by Mag.. Damn! Front kick to the face then dropped bombs. Over before it started..

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

oh shitt forgot this was on already....

[Demonata]

Thor being nice to me for once. I like that, shocked to see that..

Good luck man with your bets today on this card!

Lmfao only because it's UFC

[JIBBBY]

Lmfao only because it's UFC

Probably..