UFC Taking Upcoming Weekend Off, Headed To France Next

The Octagon is headed to France in the beginning of September.

For the first time in a long while, the promotion will be taking the upcoming weekend off. No event is scheduled, with the next being UFC Fight Night on September 3 from the Accor Arena in Paris.

This will be the debut of the UFC in France. The country legalized martial arts in 2020 after a long political battle.

In the main event live on ESPN+, heavyweights Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa square off. The card also is set to feature former champion Robert Whittaker meeting Marvin Vettori.

Bellator MMA has held cards in France since the legalization of the sport. This, though, will be the chance for the UFC to gain a stronghold in another country.

Gane, a 32-year-old, was the obvious choice for the headline fight. A native of France, he is coming off a January decision loss to Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight title.

Prior to that, he put together a 10-fight win streak that included Octagon wins over Derrick Lewis and Alexander Volkov.

This actually might be an even bigger fight for Gane, as the entire arena will be solidly behind him and in his corner. Plus, it will give him the opportunity to showcase French mixed martial arts on the biggest stage possible.

Looking to play the role of spoiler will be Tuivasa. “Bam Bam” has been red-hot since a 2019 loss, winning his last five. The highlight was a February second round knockout of Lewis.

Adding someone like Whittaker to the card also brings the masses, as he is an international superstar. Vettori brings in the same, and those two together should provide explosive action.