This Thursday, October 8 will be a milestone.
Eight months after its legalization in France, MMA landed in France with the very first gala and six fights at the Maurice-Thorez Sports Palace in Vitry-sur-Seine (Val-de-Marne), under the aegis of the French Boxing Federation.
This is indeed responsible for structuring this extreme combat sport where kicks, punches, knees and elbows, as well as strikes on the ground are allowed inside an octagon-shaped cage. .
The 600 seats - gauge imposed due to health measures while the enclosure can hold 1,200 spectators - were sold to attend the MMA Grand Prix, a new French organization founded by Abdel Khaznadji, at the head of Fight Sport Management and Obyfight , a club specializing in the discipline, and Eric Konako, a well-known promoter in the world of muaythai.
"The UFC
(Editor's note: Ultimate Fighting Championship, American league which is a benchmark in MMA)
contacted us, and we will be lucky that this first event in France will be broadcast on one of the biggest streaming platforms of combat sports
(Editor's note: UFC Fight Pass)
”, specifies the latter.
Roxana Maracineanu, the Minister for Sports who worked for the legalization of the discipline, will be present at this meeting, where the world of boxing is expected (Tony Yoka and Estelle Mossely, Souleymane Cissokho ...) for a show that promises .
"It's France against the rest of the world," said Eric Konako, referring to the six fights on the program.
With notably the slugger Mickaël Lebout, former of the UFC, Karim Ghajji, seven times world champion of kick-boxing (which makes its big debut in the discipline) or Laëtitia Blot, ex-champion of France of judo and wrestling , who is also embarking on a new career in MMA.
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This Saturday, Bellator, a recognized international organization, will offer thirteen fights at the AccorHotels Arena (Paris 12th), with Frenchman Cheick Kongo on the bill.
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