Lawrence Epstein welcomes France's decision to legalize MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). The Executive Vice President and Director of Operations for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads the world's most powerful professional MMA league from the United States.
Rich in billions, with the best fighters on the planet like the Irishman Conor McGregor, the UFC will arrive in France at the end of the year to organize its first fights and the ground will shake. His big boss tells us so. The UFC is a gigantic organization, of which Lawrence Epstein presents to us his projects for France, exclusively.
Can you tell us what UFC is?
LAWRENCE EPSTEIN. We are the biggest MMA league in the world with very professional know-how. The UFC has existed since 1993 and we have been growing ever since. The UFC has changed the history of our sport. Televisions around the world broadcast our 42 annual events in 175 countries, around twenty of which take place outside the United States. We are now very impatient to come to France.
Do you confirm that the UFC will soon arrive in France?
Yes, absolutely! We have been waiting for the legislative framework for years, almost ten years, and we have had France in our sights for a very long time. Your country's market is extremely important to us.
Why ?
France is one of the largest sports countries in the world. It is important that a league as powerful as ours is present. Finally, France has behind it a long and beautiful tradition of combat sports.
When will the UFC arrive in France?
There is a lot of work ahead of us before we can give a date and we will of course respect the steps imposed by the ongoing recognition process. But we are very hopeful to organize fights in France during a first big evening before the end of 2020.
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Will this meeting be scheduled in Paris?
Yes, initially (Editor's note: the AccorHotels Arena in Paris seems to be the chosen venue) . But we are not closing the door on other major French cities.
Will you come for an annual meeting or more?
We are working on a first event but knowing the fan base for MMA in France, it is quite possible that we come several times a year. For the moment, nothing is defined.
MMA: French people across the border
What is a UFC meeting?
It's an unforgettable experience, a competition with the best fighters in the world, a show and an incredible show.
Irishman Conor McGregor is your most famous fighter. Will we see it in France?
You can never say no. Only, Conor is in high demand all over the world and he obviously doesn't fight every day. But France is so important to us that it is not impossible that you will see it in Paris one day.
Does France also have good fighters?
And how! You are lucky to have two big heavyweights who are Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane. We both pay very close attention to them.
Do you understand why France has banned MMA fighting for so long?
For a long time, the rest of the world thought the same thing about our sport: too violent, too dangerous. We have heard many things, often false. All the countries that have said yes to MMA over the years have no regrets. They are all conquered.
For what reasons ?
Many people still think that MMA is a sport where everything is allowed, that there are no regulations. Quite the opposite: MMA is the one that applies the greatest number of rules, which are perfectly codified within the framework of the “Unified MMA Rules” and respected.
Do your critics say the fighters risk their lives in the cage?
It is quite the opposite and we have a lot of educational work to develop to make it understand to the French. Our rules protect the integrity of our athletes and injuries are, you can believe, far more rare and less serious than in many other sports.
Has the government made a good decision to associate MMA with the French boxing federation?
I believe him. The most important is above all that MMA is finally legalized in France and that fighting is allowed there. We are very excited to share our values with boxing. The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have taken the same type of decision. Our two sports are not lacking in common.
Do you think MMA will be popular in France?
I have no doubts and we will do it. MMA is the fastest growing of all sports, in the United States as elsewhere. We are a young sport, but we already have a global audience in all media. MMA is "THE" sport of the future.
