In the fight between a pianist and a lookalike Conor McGregor, said the homeowner. Cheered on by the French fans present at the Accor Arena, Axel Sola had a gala debut in UFC Paris this Saturday (6), by knocking out rhys mckee in the third round, in a welterweight bout (up to 77 kg). His opponent, however, complained about referee Herb Dean's interruption.
The Frenchman maintained his undefeated record in professional MMA, now with a record of 11 wins, no losses and one draw.
See too
The victory was celebrated like a title by the local fans, who lived up to their tradition of fervent support at events held on French soil. At 27, Axel Sola confirms his status as a promising European MMA prospect and can now envision greater heights in the UFC. Before joining the organization, he was the champion of Ares FC, one of the top events on the European circuit.
On the other side, rhys mckee suffers his fifth loss in the UFC and once again faces an uncertain future within the organization. Despite coming off a victory over Daniel Frunza In April of this year, the Northern Irishman was unable to maintain consistency and has accumulated a record of 14 wins, seven losses and one draw.
Axel Sola shines in his debut and puts on a show in front of the French fans at UFC Paris
Sola, who was announced as a last-minute replacement for the card, made the most of the spotlight and showed personality from the outset: an amateur pianist and classical music fan, he chose Mozart as his opening track, setting the French mood. With the crowd behind him, the Nice native dominated the first round with solid stand-up strikes and controlled the pace.
In the second round, McKee grew into the fight. Even with obvious facial bleeding, the Northern Irish fighter sought to increase his punching volume, while Sola appeared to be fatigued. The round was evenly matched, with both fighters exchanging strong moments.
The third round began with a high intensity, with fierce exchanges. That's when the Frenchman found the perfect moment to end the fight: he landed a precise punch to the waist, causing McKee to double over in pain and fall unconscious. Referee Herb Dean immediately stopped the fight. McKee protested, but soon retreated due to the force of the blow.
Thoughts on that stoppage? pic.twitter.com/tprglhkTwf
— MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) September 6, 2025
William Gomis stops Polish prospect's debut and returns to winning ways in the UFC
William Gomis defeated Robert Ruchala in the UFC Paris. Photo Twitter / UFC News
If in the preliminary card all the fights had ended quickly, the main card started with William Gomis vs. Robert Ruchala going to a judges' decision. After three rounds, the Frenchman fought a balanced fight and managed to emerge with his arms raised. The fight was a featherweight fight (up to 65,7 kg).
Gomis now has a record of 15 wins and three losses. The fighter is back to winning ways in the company. He also acknowledged his opponent's quality and avoided naming names, but he hopes to soon reach the top 15 in the division led by Alexander Volkanovsky.
Ruchala, meanwhile, has a track record of 11 wins and two losses. He was unsuccessful in his first UFC appearance.
Mason Jones turns it around in the third round and defeats Bolaji Oki by knockout at UFC Paris
Mason jones showed resilience to overcome a difficult start and earn an important knockout victory over Bolaji Oki, in the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg). The fight, which unfolded with great intensity and alternating dominance, ended in the third round, when the fighter landed a devastating sequence of elbows on his opponent.
With this result, Jones improves his UFC record and takes an important step toward reestablishing himself in the division, after a period away from the organization where he won titles with Cage Warriors. He requested to fight at UFC Qatar in November.
Yes, Bolaji Oki, who had two victories in the Ultimate, suffered his second defeat in the company, but showed potential and quality during the fight.
UFC Paris results
MAIN CARD (16pm Brasília time)
Average weight (up to 83,9 kg): Nassourdine Imavov derrotou Caio Borralho by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
Light weight (up to 70,3 kg): Benoit Saint-Denis submitted Maurício Ruffy with a rear naked choke at 2m56sec. of R2
Light heavyweight (up to 93 kg): Modest Bukauskas derrotou Paul Craig by knockout (elbow) at 4:59 of R1
Light weight (up to 70,3 kg): Mason jones derrotou Bolaji Oki by knockout (elbows) at 3:18 of R2
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Axel Sola defeated rhys mckee by technical knockout (punches) at 2:02 of R3
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): William Gomis defeated Robert Ruchała by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD (13pm Brasília time)
Light heavyweight (up to 93 kg): Oumar Sy derrotou Brendson Ribeiro by technical knockout (punches) at 4:42 of R1
Heavy weight (up to 120,2 kg): Before Delija derrotou Marcin tybura by knockout (punches) at 2:03 of R1
Light weight (up to 70,3 kg): Kaue Fernandes defeated Harry Hardwick by TKO (low kick) at 3:20 of R1
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Sam Patterson derrotou Trey Waters by knockout (punches) at 3m01sec. in R1
Average weight (up to 83,9 kg): Robert Bryczek derrotou Brad Tavares by technical knockout (punches) at 1m43sec. in R3
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Rinat Fakhretdinov derrotou Andreas Gustafsson by technical knockout (punches) at 54 seconds of R1
Straw weight (up to 52,1 kg): Sam Hughes finished Shauna Bannon with a rear naked choke at 1:58. from R2
Read More about: Axel Sola, UFC, UFC Paris, William Gomis
You need login To comment.