5 French UFC fighters who could become undisputed champions

UFC Paris delivered from start to finish and showcased the very best of French MMA talent.

France has never had a homegrown, undisputed UFC champion. Ciryl Gane remains the only French titleholder in promotional history as he won the interim heavyweight title in 2021. After coming up short in a title unification bout earlier this year, 'Bon Gamin' returned to winning ways in the main event of UFC Paris.

While Gane has already claimed gold in the organization, albeit an interim title, an undisputed French champion is inevitable down the line, especially with the influx of talent from the European nation at the highest level.

Here are five French fighters who could become UFC champions.

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#5. William Gomis

William Gomis kicked off his UFC career with a dominant win at the Accor Arena on Saturday. The young up-and-coming featherweight defeated fellow promotional newcomer Jarno Errens on the main card of UFC Paris, winning via majority decision.

Gomis' MMA career got off to a turbulent start. Still just 18 when he made his pro debut, the Frenchman went 2-2 in his first four bouts, all of which went down in 2016.

Now at 25, Gomis has extended his record to 11-2 and is unbeaten in six years. 'The Jaguar' has evolved into a very dynamic stand-up fighter with six knockout wins under his belt. In his last bout, he showcased his wrestling skills as well, securing multiple takedowns en route to victory.

The young French star undoubtedly has a promising journey ahead of him and we could have a future featherweight champion on our hands.

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#4. Benoit Saint-Denis

The UFC 155-pound division is arguably the best weight class in all of combat sports. While the top 15 is stacked with championship caliber fighters who can all beat one another on any given day, there are numerous unranked lightweights who would give their ranked counterparts a real run for their money.

One such contender is France's Benoit Saint-Denis, who picked up his second UFC win at the inaugural French event and bagged a 'Performance of the Night' bonus as well.

Benoit Saint-Denis claimed a 'Performance of the Night' bonus [Image via @ufc on Twitter]

Saint-Denis put together an impressive 8-0 record on the European regional MMA scene, finishing all of his opponents along the way. Upon signing with the MMA leader in 2021, the Frenchman suffered the first loss of his career via a narrow decision, on short notice at welterweight.

The 26-year-old returned to the win column earlier this year, submitting Niklas Stolze. 'God of War' is a dangerous grappling specialist, with most of his career wins coming via submissions.

At UFC Paris, Saint-Denis scored a scorching second-round TKO victory to uphold his 100% finish rate and further establish himself as a lightweight to keep an eye on, with real championship potential.

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#3. Nassourdine Imavov

Nassourdine Imavov picked up his fourth win in the UFC on Saturday night, when he cruised to a unanimous decision win over Joaquin Buckley. Imavov is among the most well-rounded contenders in the middleweight division and is just a few more wins away from a shot at gold.

Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has been lapping the contenders below him since becoming the titleholder in 2019. While 'The Last Stylebender' is slated to take on Alex Pereira in November, there are no new contenders really making their case for a title shot.

Nassourdine Imavov, who is ranked inside the top 15, is certainly an interesting matchup for Adesanya. Both middleweights are excellent strikers, but Imavov has a lethal grappling game as well, with four submission wins on his record.

Still just 27, Imavov has a long way to go in his career and is far from his prime. If he continues on his current trajectory, expect him to break into the upper echelons of the division very soon. Under the tutelage of renowned head coach Fernand Lopez, and with teammates like Ciryl Gane, the Dagestan-born phenom has all the tools to work his way up the ranks and potentially claim gold.

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#2. Manon Fiorot

Out of all the contenders in the UFC women's flyweight division, Manon Fiorot is arguably the most intriguing threat to Valentina Shevchenko's championship reign.

Like Shevchenko, Fiorot has gained tons of experience outside the UFC. Before turning professional in 2018, she competed in the IMMAF championships, the most prestigious amateur MMA competition. After winning gold at the IMAAFs, the French fighter picked up the UAE Warriors and EFC's 125-pound titles, which prompted the world's premier MMA organization to come calling.

Since signing with the UFC, Manon Fiorot has been in absolutely scintillating form. She secured TKO victories in her first two outings and followed them up with consecutive unanimous decision wins over Mayra Bueno Silva and former title challenger Jennifer Maia to break into the flyweight top ten.

With 125-pound queen Valentina Shevchenko running out of challengers, Fiorot has seemingly been fast-tracked up the rankings. Now occupying the No.6 spot, she is likely one or two wins away from a title shot. The 32-year-old is set to take on another former title challenger in Katlyn Chookagian in October.

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#1. Ciryl Gane – Former interim UFC champion

Ciryl Gane bounced back and returned to the win column in emphatic fashion this past Saturday, putting away Tai Tuivasa in the third round of their pivotal heavyweight clash. Gane successfully protected his No.1 ranking with his latest performance and is very close to earning another shot at undisputed gold.

Unfortunately for the towering Frenchman, there is quite a bit of chaos atop the heavyweight division. Francis Ngannou, the champion, is still recovering from injuries and is embroiled in a contract dispute with the promotion. The impending arrival of Jon Jones has further complicated the title picture and Gane might need one more win to earn his shot.

Gane's loss to Ngannou was incredibly close, with 'The Predator' using his much-improved wrestling to neutralize the former's offense. It is pretty clear that although 'Bon Gamin' lost, he is just a few minor adjustments away from rounding out his game.

France's best hope of an undisputed homegrown UFC champion is none other than their inaugural headliner. Somewhat surprisingly, Gane is still very young in his MMA career, and as he continues to improve, it's only a matter of time before he emerges as the divisional kingpin.

Ciryl Gane is coming for undisputed gold [Image via @ciryl_gane on Instagram]