From traditional boxing, martial arts, and kickboxing to homegrown Gallic variations such as Savate and Canne de Combat, combat sports have always been popular in France. However, it was not until 2020 that the increasingly popular sport of MMA was made legal in the country when it was incorporated into the French Boxing Federation Framework. Today, French fans have various MMA events to choose from. Including high-profile bouts between world-beating fighters coming from France and abroad that are ranked by TestCasinoEnLigne. With this in mind, let’s consider some of France's best MMA events.
The Best Recent & Upcoming French MMA Events
Whether you’re a French fight fan who’s interested in betting on MMA matchups remotely, or you’re on the lookout for physical tickets for the hottest upcoming fights, check out our selection of the best major events taking place in the country this year. You can also find details of landmark bouts and recent MMA events that have taken the French Republic by storm since the sport was first legalized in 2020:- UFC Fight Night 209 - As the first ever UFC event in France, this landmark evening firmly deserves a spot on our list. The UFC Fight Night 209 event took place in September 2022, with the hotly anticipated headline matchups Ciryl Gane VS Tai Tuivasa and Robert Whittaker VS Marvin Vettori wowing the Parisien crowd.
- PFL Europe 3 - September 30th, 2023, saw the Professional Fighters League (PFL) make its mark in France for the first time, following acclaimed events in Newcastle and Berlin. The Zénith Paris was the setting for a highly publicized bout between Cedric ‘The Best’ Doumbe and Jordan Zébo. Lucky fight fans were also able to witness PFL Europe semi-final bouts in the light heavyweight, lightweight, bantamweight, and women's flyweight divisions. At this event, the audience themselves played a key role in boosting visibility for the sport in France, being crowned as the Number 1 MMA Crowd of the Year.
- UC 2 - This year saw another French introduction to the world of MMA at the UC 2 event, as promoted by Ultimate Cage France. UC 2 took place at the Palais Saint Sauveur in Lille, where lucky fans were given the chance to see a ferocious main event bout between France’s Salim El Ouassaidi and Romania’s Zsolt Balla. This resulted in the Romanian national succumbing to a knockout in the first round.
- KOF 4 - February 17th, 2024, was the date that France’s Tahar Hadbi and Swiss national Kevin Ruart took to the stage at the Palais des Sports Antares in Le Mans for The King of Fighters KOF 4 event. This hotly anticipated bout resulted in a unanimous decision in favor of Hadbi after 3 rounds. Other exciting fights on the card included Souk Khampasath VS Luca Iovine, Nika Kobaxidze VS Henrique Madureira, and Mahamadou Soukouna VS Nelson Kasende.
- Gladiator Fighting Arena 15 - Scheduled for the 2nd March at the Salle Pablo Neruda in Nimes, Gladiator Fighting Arena 15 is a much-anticipated event that’s sure to appeal to fight fans based in France. This GFA event will see an array of fighters take to the stage, but the main event Vacant Featherweight Championship bout between Brandon Brachet and Dumar Roa is the matchup that’s best expected to see sparks fly.
- PFL Europe 1 2024 - Following his exceptional KO of Jordan Zébo within just seconds of the first round in 2023, Cedric ‘The Best’ Doumbea will return to the stage in glory at Paris’ Accor Arena on March 7th, for the PFL Europe 1 2024 main event. The homegrown French star is set to take on his fellow countryman Baissangour ‘Baki’ Chamsoudinov, who is currently riding high on an 8-0 winning streak. This should be one for the books!
- Kongs FC 2 - Kongs FC 2 is another upcoming French event that will set the scene for 4 main card bouts featuring fighters from both home and away. Scheduled for the 30th of March at the Salle de l'Acclameur in Niort, this Kongs Fighting Championship event is packed with talent from France, Belgium, Brazil, and the Republic of Ireland. Fight fans can expect to savor the high-quality matchups Mickael Lebout VS Donovan Desmae, Martin McNulty VS Tital Sadoyan, Florent Betorangal VS Rousimar Palhares & Damien Remy VS Pablo Benaion.
- Ares FC 20 - Hosted by ARES Fighting Championships, Ares FC 20 is set to take place at the Dôme de Paris in the capital’s 15th arrondissement. This upcoming event is sure to set French tongues wagging with an array of talent spread across the 4-bout main card. The AFC Vacant Middleweight Championship main event sits firmly at the top of the bill, with homegrown fighters Virgil Augen and Vlad Gutu facing off in what’s sure to be an entertaining matchup. Other bouts worth checking out at Ares FC 20 include Jacky Jeanne VS Mbamba Cauwenbergh, Xavier Lessou VS Mamadou Mbaye & Alioune Nahaye VS Geraldo de Freitas.
- Hexagone MMA 16 - The final upcoming event in our selection is set to take place at Reims Arena on the 24th of May when French featherweight fighters Anthony Dizy and David Tonatiuh Crol battle it out for supremacy of their divisions. Holding current records of 15 - 5 and 11 - 8, respectively, this bout could go either way, although Dizy currently holds a confident 85% win prediction rate. Hosted by Hexagone MMA promotions, this event is sure to be popular amongst Gallic fight fans in France and beyond.
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