Souad Soulimani has been a member of the Sport Business Observatory since 2016. Founder of MediaSpoliS specializing in media education and the production of content dedicated to female leadership, she is also president of Radio Déclic, which gives voice to the inhabitants of working-class neighborhoods on major societal issues. The Sport Business Observatory is the Think Tank of the In&Sport firm whose vocation is to provide analyzes and deciphering on the evolution of sport, both in its economic and social dimension.
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DOSSIER - The Sport Business Observatory
In the history of martial arts, muay-thai acts as a resistant and continues to seduce in France and well beyond with committed athletes who are both boxers and organizers.
It remains to be seen whether this economic model and more broadly the organization of European sport will be able to cope with the UFC machine which already seems to carry everything in its path.
Everything except the passion and determination that drive these modern-day gladiators who are determined to continue the fight, that for a muay thru that mixes tradition, values and business and which has no other leitmotif than resistance and resilience to the he image of world champions Madani Rahmani or Youssef Boughanem who are on the bill for a gala to be held on June 25 in Fléron near Liège.
The first UFC arrives in France.
He is undoubtedly one of the most awaited on European soil as he has aroused passions and fueled frustrations over the past ten years.
For a few months, the light seems to be at the end of the road and the communication plan has been launched with presales of tickets scheduled for June 24, which will be a predictable and prepared success.
Flashback, more than 10 years back.
September 7, 2007. Press Conference Room in London.
UFC 75. While all the journalists are focusing on Rampage and Dan Henderson…then Cro Cop.
An athlete has yet to speak.
I hasten to take the microphone to question Cheick Kongo, our French representative on the bill.
I ask him what this fight against Mirko Cro-Cop represents for him and at the same time, I ask Dana White, president of the UFC when is a UFC in France so close to London?
The French champion from elsewhere the foot fists responds with serenity and humility.
"
It's a fight like any other and I prepared myself to win
".
He will indeed win.
As for Dana White, he told me “
We are thinking of France, it would be great to be able to come to Paris.
It's in the works
”.
UFC 275 Press Conference Francis Ngannou vs Ciryl Gane UFC France
It took fifteen years and many adventures to complete this project.
Today, this is what the boss of the UFC answers:
“Yes, it's true, we have been working on France for so long and that's what makes this September 3 event all the more unique.
We had to invest a lot of money and do a lot of lobbying but that's it here we are.
See you on September 3, it's going to be madness.
Opposite, other events continue to exist and one discipline in particular continues its journey with powerful values and champions with life paths worthy of Van Damme films that reposition sport at the heart of societal issues.
Muay Thai, the reference
Undoubtedly
the discipline closest to the reality of combat and a tough contact sport with a powerful cultural heritage.
Imperturbable, Madani Rahmani organizes his next world championship himself and as if that were not enough, he invites a certain Youssef Boughanem to the fightcard.
The man with more than 300 fights and 23 world titles returns home, to his land in Belgium where he will share the bill with the organizer of the evening also in the ring that evening with his 85 fights for 81 victories .
These awards, we will not find them on the posters of the UFC.
They don't exist for a simple reason: you can become a UFC champion in less than 5 fights and not have to cross the world to assert your supremacy.
Opposite, muay-thai favors old-fashioned values, preparations for the hard way and total commitment to a passion and a childhood dream.
When I exchange for the first time with Madani, he is in Thailand in training camp.
He goes there at his own expense but that doesn't seem to bother him any more because we quickly understand for the Belgian native that the essential is elsewhere.
Youssef Boughanem on May 28 at the Lumpini Stadium Boughanem Team
He lets nothing show of the hardness of the sacrifices and the distance from his relatives and explains to me that it was people like Dida Diafat or Kamel Jemel who gave him the desire to accomplish himself through muay- Thai.
No cameras and no elements of language for the one who chose Osman Yigin to supervise him in his preparations, the man with 16 titles of world champions and 28 titles of European champions.
A raw, peaceful discourse that sticks to its reality.
That of a high-level athlete who is having difficulty making a living from his sport to which he has devoted the last 15 years tirelessly.
He also proudly evokes the fight of Youssef Boughanem who is "
a star here
", holder of all possible and imaginable titles in the discipline and with whom he also organized a free muay-thai course for children this Sunday. June 19 after Youssef won another victory at Lumpini Stadium on May 28.
The champions Madani Rahmani and Youssef Boughanem meet children in Soumagne RMadani
All the children, girls and boys, left with their photo, autographed poster and smiles that give strength.
That of continuing to perpetuate their passion and their childhood dream come true.
Neither Madani nor Youssef will forget this heritage: "
If we can send a message to young people and show that when we want to get there, that we give ourselves the means, it is possible then we will have won a great victory
" .
If certainly, this one is not a victory on the ring, it is probably worth much more as its impact is powerful with the young generations on the Belgian territory, in the districts of Liège and well beyond through these few lines on the Figaro which will definitely echo these inspiring and impactful life journeys of young fathers and great athletes in the service of their sport and more broadly of society.
