UFC 278 - Usman vs. Edwards 2 --- UFC 279 - Diaz vs. Ferguson
UFC Fight Night 209: Gane vs. Tuivasa (also known as UFC Paris) is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on September 3, 2022, at Accor Arena in Paris, France.
Fight card
Main card (ESPN+)
Heavyweight Ciryl Gane vs. Tai Tuivasa
Middleweight Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori
Middleweight Alessio Di Chirico vs. Roman Kopylov
Lightweight John Makdessi vs. Nasrat Haqparast
Featherweight William Gomis vs. Jarno Errens
Featherweight Charles Jourdain vs. Nathaniel Wood
Preliminary card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Middleweight Abus Magomedov vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
Lightweight Farès Ziam vs. Michal Figlak
Middleweight Nassourdine Imavov vs. Joaquin Buckley
Lightweight Benoît Saint-Denis vs. Gabriel Miranda
Bantamweight Khalid Taha vs. Cristian Quiñónez
Women's Featherweight Stephanie Egger vs. Ailin Perez
Background
This event will mark the organization's debut in France. After a long political battle, mixed martial arts was legalized in the country in 2020 after the French National Olympic and Sports Committee gave its approval to the French Ministry of Sport's decision to allow it under the jurisdiction of the French Boxing Federation.
A heavyweight bout between former interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa is expected to headline the event.
A middleweight bout between former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker (also The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes welterweight winner) and former title challenger Marvin Vettori is expected to take place at the event. The pairing was originally scheduled for UFC 275, but Whittaker withdrew due to injury.
Former UFC Women's Flyweight Championship challenger Katlyn Chookagian was expected to face Manon Fiorot in a women's flyweight bout at the event. However, Chookagian withdrew due to unknown reasons in mid June and was replaced by former UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Jéssica Andrade. In turn, Andrade withdrew in mid July due to undisclosed reasons and Chookagian stepped back into the original pairing. The promotion then opted to postpone the contest to UFC 280 in October.
Christos Giagos was expected to face Benoît Saint-Denis in a lightweight bout. However, Giagos pulled out in early August after severing a tendon of his little finger during a domestic accident. Saint-Denis is now expected to face Gabriel Miranda.
A welterweight bout between Darian Weeks (MMA record: 5–2) and former two-time Glory Welterweight Champion Cédric Doumbé (MMA record: 2–0) was scheduled for the event. However the fight was cancelled after the French MMA Federation (FMMAF) would not sanction the bout per the commission's rule that fighters with less than ten professional bouts must not have more than a four fight differential between them. Weeks was later rescheduled to face Yohan Lainesse at UFC 279, one week later from this event. Doumbé was then supposedly released by the organization, a rumor he denies.
A middleweight bout between Makhmud Muradov and Abusupiyan Magomedov was expected to take place at the event. However, Muradov withdrew due to injury was replaced by Dustin Stoltzfus.
A bantamweight bout between Taylor Lapilus and Khalid Taha was expected to take place at this event. However, the week before the event, Lapilus withdrew due to a broken hand. Taha will now face promotional newcomer Cristian Quiñónez.
Zarah Fairn Dos Santos and Ailin Perez were scheduled to meet in a women's featherweight bout at the event. However, Fairn was pulled from the event for unknown reasons and replaced by Stephanie Egger.
A featherweight bout between Ricardo Ramos and Danny Henry was expected to take place at the event. However, the bout was cancelled after both fighters got injured.
Sep 1 - Updated fight card & background
