UFC Paris 2025: Imavov’s Masterclass Leads Historic Night for French MMA at Accor Arena

French Dominance at UFC Paris

Nassourdine Imavov delivered a masterful performance to close out a historic UFC Paris event, outworking and outclassing Caio Borralho in the main event. The night proved exceptional for French fighters, who achieved a perfect 5-0 sweep, while the event tied the record for most finishes (11) in a UFC event in the modern era.

Main Event Breakdown

The judges scored the middleweight contenders’ battle decisively in Imavov’s favor (50-45, 49-46, 49-46), marking his fifth consecutive UFC victory. Following his dominant performance, Imavov set his sights on new middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, calling for a title shot.

In a show of sportsmanship, Borralho acknowledged Imavov’s superiority, stating, “I think Nassourdine was just the better man today. He was very fast, as I was expecting… I wanted to make this fight entertaining for the fans and for the UFC, so I tried to strike with one of the best strikers in the world.”

Co-Main Event Highlights

The co-main event saw another French triumph as Benoît Saint Denis continued his impressive run, dominating Mauricio Ruffy before securing a rear-naked choke victory at 2:56 of Round 2. ‘BSD’ showcased superior grappling, taking Ruffy down at will and mounting him multiple times before the finish.

Historic Significance

This marked the fourth consecutive year that the UFC has visited the ‘City of Light’ for their early September card at Accor Arena. The event highlighted several top French talents on the UFC roster, alongside other European and international standouts. As with previous events, the Paris crowd maintained their reputation for being large and enthusiastic throughout the night.

Looking Ahead

The successful event, held on September 6, 2025, at Accor Arena, has potentially set up an intriguing title scenario, with Imavov positioning himself for a possible challenge against recently crowned UFC Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev.