The excitement was palpable at the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s second event in France on Saturday, as fans in Paris made a strong impression. The Accor Arena was filled with energy from the card’s opening fight until Ciryl Gane dispatched Sergey Spivak in the UFC Fight Night 226 heavyweight headliner. The numerous French fighters on the card drew loud ovations and brought a palpable energy to the audience — something that UFC officials couldn’t help but notice.
UFC Senior VP Praises Event’s Success
UFC senior vice president for international operations and content, David Shaw, remarked at Saturday’s post-fight press conference, “That felt louder than last year.” He went on to discuss the event’s success, saying, “Last year our feeling was it’s the first time in the market, we worked so hard to get legalization in France. First time effect — great.” Shaw explained that this year’s event validated the UFC’s commitment to France, with increased numbers of athletes, partnerships, and attention to mixed martial arts in the country.
Factors Contributing to Success in France
While the long process to get MMA legalized in France certainly helped build enthusiasm for the UFC’s arrival over the past two years, Shaw points out that the country also has a solid foundation of martial arts. “The pent-up demand is one major contributor to the overall success,” Shaw said. “There’s also a long history of martial arts in this country and the power of judo, karate, wrestling and boxing for so long.” He added that the younger demographic of MMA fans likely played a role in its growing popularity in France.
Looking ahead, it appears that the Las Vegas-based promotion would like to make Paris a regular stop on its annual itinerary. However, Shaw admits that the 2024 Olympics in Paris will make that plan more challenging next year. “We said it for many years as we were going through the legalization process that this is a destination we want to be in every year,” Shaw said. “… Next year it’s going to be a different puzzle but absolutely it’s top of the list for us to come here every year.”
The turnout and energy at UFC Fight Night 226 could also create openings for more events in other French cities. Shaw mentioned that there have been many conversations about other possible destinations and increasing the number of events in France. “There are a few different cities that we would consider,” he said. “But no decisions yet. We’ve talked about that a lot this week.”