UFC FN: Gane vs. Spivac= Matchmaking Roulette
This weekend the UFC is back in Paris with countryman Ciryl Gane finding himself headlining in his backyard for the second year in a row. Except this time around there is an opposing stylistic matchup compared to the man he fought in Paris last year and one that could present problems. It is also worth noting that Rose Namajunas is debuting at flyweight against Manon Fiorot. Many forget that nobody surprises people in the fight game like Rose Namajunas and with her acknowledging how uneventful and lackluster her last performance was, it is certain for her to come in with a chip on her shoulder. This fight card has tons of other factors worth noting as it edges closer so here are some things to take into consideration.
Debuting Fighters
Seven fighters are making their UFC debut on this fight card.
Jacqueline Cavalcanti
Nora Cornolle
Caolán Loughran
Morgan Charriere
Manolo Zecchcini
Yanis Ghemmouri
Bogdan Guskov
With the excessive number of debuts taking place, one can assume there were MANY other matchups originally scheduled that fell through. Cavalcanti will be replacing Hailey Cowan against Zarah Fairn. Yanis Ghemmouri is replacing Lucas Almeida against William Gomis. Caolán Loughran is replacing Muin Gafurov against Taylor Lapilus. And Bogdan Guskov is replacing Azamat Murzakanov against Volkan Oezdemir. The UFC's original plan was to have Yanis Ghemmouri and Caolán Loughran fight each other until another matchup fell through in Haqparast vs. Patterson and this massive game of matchmaking musical chairs ensued which essentially led to Charriere and Zecchini getting this opportunity against each other.
Returning Fighters
Two fighters are making a return for their second stint in the UFC.
Rhys McKee
Taylor Lapilus
Lapilus first competed in the UFC eight years ago going 2-1 in 2015 before returning to the regional circuit where he went 7-1 and now finds himself back in the UFC. Rhys McKee is an interesting case because he faced fairly stiff competition during his first run losing to Khamzat Chimaev and Alex Morono. He has since returned to Cage Warriors and reclaimed the welterweight championship and finds himself up against Ange Loosa this weekend which is an intriguing fight.
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