UFC Paris keeps its full slate of matchups intact.
On Monday, Fares Ziam revealed that he was forced to pull out from his scheduled lightweight clash with Kaue Fernandes on the upcoming Fight Night main card, citing the tragic passing of his grandmother. With “Smile Killer” out, Fernandes’ situation remained uncertain, with speculation on whether he would stay on the card or be rebooked later.
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However, per a recent report from Al Zullino, Fernandes will remain on the UFC Paris card after securing a new opponent, as Cage Warriors featherweight champion Harry Hardwick has stepped up on just five days’ notice to salvage the matchup.
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Hardwick last competed at Cage Warriors 186 this past March, where he successfully defended his 145-pound title with a technical decision victory over Javier Garcia. “Houdini” is riding a nine-fight unbeaten streak and boasts a professional record of 13-3-1, with seven of his victories coming by way of finish.
Meanwhile, Fernandes was last in action at UFC London this past March, where he picked up a unanimous decision win over Guram Kutateladze, extending his momentum inside the promotion. The 30-year-old Brazilian first entered the Octagon at UFC São Paulo in November 2023, dropping a razor-close split decision to Marc Diakiese in his debut. He now carries a professional record of 10-2.
How Stacked Is The UFC Paris Card?
UFC Paris takes place this Saturday, September 6, at the Accor Arena in France with a stacked lineup of 14 bouts, featuring French talent throughout the card. The Fight Night will be headlined by a high-stakes middleweight clash between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho, a matchup that could carry major title implications.
Meanwhile, the co-main event pits French favorite Benoît Saint Denis against surging lightweight prospect Mauricio Ruffy. Elsewhere on the card, seasoned featherweight Patricio Pitbull is set to welcome former two-division OKTAGON champion Losene Keita for his highly anticipated UFC debut.
Here is the confirmed lineup for UFC Paris:
- Middleweight bout: Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho
- Lightweight bout: Benoit Saint Denis vs. Mauricio Ruffy
- Lightweight bout: Bolaji Oki vs. Mason Jones
- Light heavyweight bout: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Paul Craig
- Featherweight bout: Patricio Pitbull vs. Losene Keita
- Lightweight bout: Kaue Fernandes vs. Harry Hardwick
- Featherweight bout: William Gomis vs. Robert Ruchala
- Light heavyweight bout: Oumar Sy vs. Brendson Ribeiro
- Heavyweight bout: Marcin Tybura vs. Ante Delija
- Welterweight bout: Rhys McKee vs. Axel Sola
- Welterweight bout: Sam Patterson vs. Trey Waters
- Middleweight bout: Brad Tavares vs. Robert Bryczek
- Welterweight bout: Andreas Gustafsson vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov
- Strawweight bout: Shauna Bannon vs. Sam Hughes
