They missed each other on Monday evening, two days before their fight, during a meeting on Avenue de Camoens (one of the best spots to have your portrait taken in front of the Eiffel Tower).
Cédric Doumbè and Baysangur Chamsoudinov - known as "Baki" - met this Wednesday at the Accor Arena for a press conference open to the public on the eve of their clash this Thursday.
A new format organized by the Professional Fighters League (PFL), the American mixed martial arts (MMA) league.
In the room, the blue, white and red spots of the PFL overlook a simple system: nine rows of chairs for the media, the public contained behind a barrier.
Six of the twenty-six fighters who will enter the ring tomorrow evening are participating in the press conference: the British Kane Mousah (14 victories for 5 defeats) and Jack Grant (19-7), the “Lazy King” Abdoul Abdouraguimov (17- 1), the PFL 2023 lightweight champion Jakub Kaszuba (11-0) and, inevitably, Cédric Doumbè (6-0) and Baki (7-0).
🚨🚨 THE INTENSITY OF FACE TO FACE IS MADNESS!
THE 2 FIGHTERS ARE READY AS EVER 💥pic.twitter.com/7m0k6Mj134
— ARENA (@MMArena_) March 6, 2024
As expected, the atmosphere that revolves around the
main event
eclipses the presence of the other four fighters.
When a journalist asks Cédric Doumbè if he fears his opponent, the Frenchman maintains emulation.
“If you know Cédric Doumbè, you know that Doumbè fears no opponent,” he laughs, to the cheers of the hundreds of his fans who came.
I don't think you understand something, I'm not going to lose.
I've been training for this for years, I'm not going to lose.
20,000 people is water, Baki is water.
I know I'm going to turn it off.
Either way, I'm going to put him to bed.
»
PFL Paris will be a star-studded event!
▶️ https://t.co/m1SsJ43A1y
[ #PFLParis Main Card LIVE on THURS, MARCH 7 at 2:30PM EST via https://t.co/P2ud31z6z8 (US Only) ] pic.twitter.com/dcl39y1H6c
— PFL (@PFLMMA) March 6, 2024
An assurance to which Baki responds identically.
“I don’t find it to be a very complicated fight.
I will win it quietly and return home, he says, before continuing with his ambitions.
I only see victory.
I'm 22 years old, this fight is just a step in my career, not a goal for me.
All I'm aiming for is the top of this sport, that's all.
»
After the trash-talking sequence, Cédric Doumbè takes the microphone again for an announcement.
“Kylian Mbappé will come back, because he was so shocked by the crazy thing (Editor’s note: Doumbè’s express victory against Jordan Zebo), so he said:
we will take the whole team and come back
.”
The seven-time world kickboxing champion then gives some names of other guests
: Joakim Noah, Vincent Cassel, DJ Snake, Gims and Kaaris...
Also read “It’s no longer a fight but a hunt”: the “Baki” method to defeat Cédric Doumbè
The PFL event was punctuated by weigh-ins and traditional face-to-face matches for the thirteen fights scheduled for this Thursday evening.
Once again, Doumbè and Baki stood out with an intense
face-off
.
In over a minute, neither fighter bothered to look away.
The question is the same in everyone's minds: which one will be forced to do so tomorrow evening?