The evening would not have been perfect if Ciryl Gane had not won.
He would have missed the most important thing at this first UFC event organized in France.
In front of 15,000 fans and at the end of an evening that lasted more than 6 hours, with 12 fights on the program, the Frenchman from the MMA Factory triumphed.
Ciryl Gane has perfectly started her reconquest of the heavyweight world champion belt that her defeat at the start of the year against Francis Ngannou had slowed down.
And what an exceptional fight the native of La Roche-sur-Yon delivered.
Even more than three meters from the cage, where between two blows that could knock out an ox, you could see the fighter smile and hear all the blows.
However, Australian Tai Tuivasa was also tall and brave.
This fight, which will go down in MMA history as the one that ended an unforgettable evening in magnificent fashion, began to a huge ovation when Gane, the face of French MMA, entered the octagon.
The French also delivered the first recovery under a Marseillaise taken over in the heart by 15,000 lungs.
Very impressive, so much so that it wrung a smile from both fighters.
Gane even asked Tuivasa to listen and both men paused for two seconds to enjoy the moment.
CIRYL SUCCEEDED AT HOME 🇫🇷 @ciryl_gane won in front of more than 16,000 French people in the @Accord_Arena #UFCParis pic.twitter.com/KIaBZy3aad
— UFC France (@UFCFRA) September 3, 2022
But they weren't there to listen to the melody.
After the first five minutes of staring at each other, Gane and the Australian began to seriously bang each other.
Gane, for the first time in his career, even went to the floor, to the mat.
He came close to disaster but he quickly regained his senses, hitting Tuivasa with all his might, with his fists and feet.
Yes, MMA can be a violent sport when played by boys who are over 110 kg.
In the third round, Gane took the lead for good.
The Australian took a blow that hurt him more than the others and he didn't recover.
Gane won by knockout, for history, to mark the end of the first evening of the UFC organized in France.
Like him, all the other French people in the meeting won.
A success that will force the UFC to return to Paris, very quickly.
With perhaps this time Ciryl Gane who will fight for the world belt.
The fans are waiting for that.
