Benoit Saint Denis makes it a trio of triumphs on his return to Paris.
The lightweight contender meets Renato Moicano in Saturday’s UFC Paris headliner in front of a supportive French crowd and in a city where he has never lost. Saint Denis competed twice in his nation’s capital, scoring second-round knockouts both times, against Thiago Moises in 2023 and Gabriel Miranda in 2022.
If he can put away Moicano, it will re-establish St. Denis as a potential title challenger in one of MMA’s deepest divisions. St. Denis is coming off his first UFC loss, a nightcap defeat at the hands of lightweight legend Dustin Poirier, and he has a chance to prove that his sensational five-fight win streak isn’t lightning in a bottle.
Moicano has become an appointment watcher, not just because he’s won three straight. His “money” persona has attracted fans as he creates anticipation for what he will do in his fights and what he will say whenever he steps into the octagon. What he will have in store for a sea of ​​disgruntled Parisians if he defeats Saint Denis is anyone’s guess.
In the co-main event, Nasordin Imavov is tasked with defending his spot against the highly motivated Brendan Allen. “All In” isn’t happy with how the UFC has him ranked, and he’s eager to vent his frustrations with Imaev as he moves a step closer to the division’s top 5.
Also on the main card, William Komis and Jonderson Brito fight in the featherweight top 15, welterweights Kevin Joucet and Brian Battle put their undefeated streaks on the line, and former Cage Warriors featherweight champion Morgan Charrier takes on Gabriel Miranda and Farez Giam. The lightweight takes on the always sensational Matt Frevola in the opener.
What: UFC Paris
Where: Accor Arena in Paris
When: Saturday, Sept. 28. The eight-fight preliminary card begins at 12 pm ET ESPN+followed by a six-fight main card at 3 pm ET ESPN+.
(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing at tHe MMA Fighting Global Ranking)
Renato Moicano (12) vs. Benoit Saint Denis (14)
Can Renato Moicano surpass Benoit St Denis? That’s really the question.
Moicano has a history of knocking down fighters who are considered heavier hitters than him. Consider how he used his elite Jiu-Jitsu to land Jalin Turner, Drew Tober and Brad Riddell. It also stems from his willingness to stand and scrape. His grappling compliments his striking and vice versa. He is skilled enough on the feet to force his opponents to respect him and leave gaps in their defense.
When it comes to Saint Denis, finding the gaps isn’t hard, the problem is using them. The French star weighs in at 170 pounds with an unmatched physique and is capable of bridging the experience gap through sheer force of will. That’s why I expect him to win on Saturday.
Moicano is a very talented, highly skilled fighter, but it’s fair to question his durability. He needs to last at least two tough rounds with St. Denis, and I don’t see that happening. His past losses have come when he’s at his best and there will be 20,000 cheering fans cheering for St Denis’ attack.
St. Denis took first place.
Selection: St. Denis
Nasordin Imavov (T7) vs. Brendan Allen (8)
Yes, it’s time for everyone’s favorite sports show: AK Lee picks against Brendan Allen!
Your competitors today are Nasordin Imavov and, of course, our returning champion Brendan Allen, currently on a seven-fight winning streak, ladies!
I’ve picked against Alan in four straight prediction pieces, and I’ll do it again for him. Not that I believe in any kind of superstition, but on the off chance that they exist, I might just jinx Allen into a freak UFC title fight. If I pick against him there…anything is possible.
There are more substantial reasons for Imao to win. The Frenchman’s exceptional timing and accuracy, and if he can control the distance effectively, he looks to be one of the best strikers in the middleweight division. If Allen wants to fight stubbornly, he’s strong enough not to flinch and won’t shy away from a takedown if given the chance.
Allen’s preference to come forward and press is a strategy that has served him well during this impressive run of form. If he can cut off the cage and keep Imao pinned to the fence, that could be another check in the W column for “all in.”
Adhering to the rules of this game show, I decided to choose Imao.
Selection: Imaov
William Gomes vs. Jonderson Brito
This matchup between William Komis and Jonderson Brito has a true matador and grass feel.
Komis has carved a niche for himself as one of the trickier fighters in the featherweight division. That didn’t always make for memorable performances, but a win is a win, and there are a lot worse things than 145-pound Leon Edwards (look how well it worked out for Edwards!).
Brito, on the other hand, does everything with strength and intent to finish. He catches hard, he throws hard, he fights hard from his back. Brito is a world-class risk taker, and there is no situation he doesn’t want to take advantage of and set himself up for a knockout or submission.
I see Brito’s swashbuckling style paying off in the end. He would endure some early frustration before dialing up the offense in round 2, hurting Komis’ legs and finishing with a submission.
Selection: Britto
Kevin Jussett vs. Brian Bohr
A big change for Kevin Jussette in this match is that he goes from an opponent in Song Cannon to an opponent that Reich has the advantage over him in the Battle of Bryan.
That makes this matchup too easy, but Jussette gets a lot of mileage out of a skilled jab and well-timed leg kicks. He will find that it is very difficult to show the battle of Rangi from a distance. Fortunately for Josette, he brings a solid grappling background to the table, so that could be the path he takes to continue his success.
The battle is calling for a step up in competition, and even if Jussette is a lateral move, the battle is the test he needs to show that he is truly ready to graduate to the next tier of welterweights. The Ultimate Fighter 29 Winner has the tools to be a mainstay of the division, but needs seasoning with just 13 pro bouts under his belt.
It will be a close match, ahem, war, that will end on the scorecards after a hard-fought, three-round battle.
Man, I wrote war there so many times.
Selection: War
Morgan Charrier vs. Gabriel Miranda
Is it too harsh to call this a make-or-break fight for Morgan Saurier?
I still think the former Cage Warriors featherweight champion can be a contender in the UFC’s 145-pound division, but he’ll have to deliver on Saturday if he’s to be taken seriously as a contender. “The Last Pirate” is one of the favorites on the card, hovering around 5 to 1 at most sportsbooks.
He was given favorable competition in Gabriel Miranda, a speedy fighter with questionable defensive skills. Sarrier shouldn’t be intimidated in this match, because Miranda certainly won’t be, and if Miranda sets the tone early, his pressure will make Sarrier wilt.
As versatile as Sarrier is, he’ll need to be smart here, and be able to expand and fight as well. He has a significant advantage on the feet and can fool Miranda with his takedown defense before letting go of his hands and feet. I predict a highlight-reel knockout win for Charrier.
Selection: Sir
Fares Giam vs. Matt Frevola
In a way, it’s good news for Matt Frevola that he doesn’t have to go to the judges.
As for Fares Giam, he looks like a highly technical striker who can challenge the elite lightweights when he’s on top form. Giam keeps this technical for as long as he can before Frevola rushes in and breaks down the door.
Who knows? Counter-heavyweight Jim finds Frevola’s chin and ends his first fight in five years (yikes!). Or it becomes a crowd-pleasing dullness that goes far. But my prediction is that Frevola breaks Giam and hands him his first knockout loss.
Selection: Frevola
Preliminaries
Ivan Erslan def. Ayan Kudelapa
Omar Sy def. Da Un Jung
Ludovit Klein def. Roosevelt Roberts
Taylor Lapilus def. Vince Morales
Darya Zheleznyakova def. Eileen Perez (15)
Daniel Pares def. Victor Altamirano
Nora Carnoll (T13) def. Jacqueline Cavalcanti
BOLOGY OKI DEF. Chris Duncan
