UFC Paris fighter Caolán Loughran turns villain; makes obscene gestures at fans during weigh-ins amid sea of 'boos'

Caolán Loughran is in enemy territory, as he takes on French 135-pounder Taylor Lapilus in Paris, France. The two men will square off tomorrow in the final bout of UFC Paris' preliminary card. During the ceremonial weigh-ins, the Irishman did himself no favors by insulting the French crowd in attendance.

As he waltzed on stage, Caolán Loughran first aimed double middle fingers at the crowd to a chorus of boos, before simulating a obscene gesture. 'The Don,' as he is known, will be making his UFC debut tomorrow, putting his undefeated 8-0 record on the line against a dangerous opponent making his promotionl return.

The Irishman comes into the bout with youth on his side, as he is 27 years old. Furthermore, he is a known finisher, having either knocked out or submitted seven of the 8 foes he's triumphed over. Meanwhile, Taylor Lapilus is a few years older, at 31. However, he is no less dangerous than Caolán Loughran.

The Frenchman might not be as prolific a finisher, but he is a more experienced fighter with 21 bouts under his belt, 18 of which are wins. As the two bantamweights clash, they will be on different missions. Taylor Lapilus will be determined to justify the UFC's decision to offer him a second chance.

Furthermore, he will not want to lose his promotional return in front of his own countrymen. Meanwhile, Loughran aims to be the latest Irishman driven to take the UFC by storm. He is also a Cage Warriors alumni, like former middleweight kingpin Michael Bisping, who served as the weigh-in announcer.

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Is Caolán Loughran the fifth active UFC fighter from the Republic of Ireland?

Besides fighters who hail from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland currently has just five fighters in the UFC. The first is none other than former two-division champion Conor McGregor, while the second is surging unbeaten welterweight Ian Machado Garry, who idolizes 'The Notorious.'

Another Irish welterweight competing in the promotion is Dean Barry, who recently lost to Mike Jackson, bringing his record to an unremarkable 4-2. Meanwhile, the formerly undefeated Shauna Bannon recently lost her promotional debut, and is now 5-1. Caolán Loughran ranks as the promotion's fifth active Irish fighter.