— UFC returned to the Accor Arena in Paris where Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho headlined a stacked card; Benoit Saint-Denis submitted Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main, multiple fights ended by stoppage, and a Patricio Pitbull vs. Losene Keita matchup was removed after Keita suffered a problematic weight cut.
Key takeaways
- Main event: Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho headlined UFC Paris at Accor Arena, Paris on Sept. 6, 2025; main-event outcome not posted in the event summary at the time of this report.
- Co-main result: Benoit Saint-Denis defeated Mauricio Ruffy by rear-naked choke in round 2 (2:56).
- Several decisive finishes on the main card and prelims, including multiple TKOs and KOs across divisions.
- Patricio Pitbull vs. Losene Keita was canceled due to Keita’s adverse weight cut and subsequent medical evaluation.
- Prelims streamed on ESPN+ beginning at 12 p.m. ET; main card followed on ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.
- Notable finishes: Modestas Bukauskas KO Paul Craig (round 1), Mason Jones TKO Bolaji Oki (round 2), Ante Delija KO Marcin Tybura (round 1).
- Fares Ziam withdrew for personal reasons; Kaue Fernandes stepped in and stopped Harry Hardwick by TKO (leg kicks).
Verified facts
The event took place on Sept. 6, 2025, at the Accor Arena in Paris, France. The card was headlined by a middleweight matchup between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho scheduled for five five-minute rounds. At publication time, the published event scoreboard did not include a confirmed winner for the Imavov–Borralho main event.
In the co-main, Benoit Saint-Denis defeated Mauricio Ruffy by submission with a rear-naked choke at 2:56 of round two. The official judges’ scorecards and stoppage time were included in the event summary.
Other confirmed results: Modestas Bukauskas stopped Paul Craig via KO by ground-and-pound at the 5:00 mark of round one. Mason Jones earned a TKO over Bolaji Oki with elbows in round two (3:18). Axel Sola scored a TKO over Rhys McKee by body punches in round three (2:02). Robert Bryczek beat Brad Tavares by TKO in round three (1:45). Rinat Fakhretdinov, Oumar Sy, Ante Delija and Kaue Fernandes also recorded stoppage wins on the card.
The featherweight fight between Patricio ‘Pitbull’ and Losene Keita was removed from the main card after Keita experienced a difficult weight cut; event medical staff and UFC officials evaluated the situation and the bout was canceled prior to competition.
Context and impact
The Imavov–Borralho pairing carried title implications at 185 pounds, with the winner expected to push for a shot at recently crowned champion Khamzat Chimaev. Until the main event outcome is confirmed by the promotion, a title-eliminator angle remains prospective rather than official.
Saint-Denis’ submission over Ruffy keeps him prominent in the lightweight picture and may move him nearer to top-15 positioning depending on the UFC rankings update. Multiple early finishes on the card emphasize the depth of finishers in several weight classes at this event.
Card changes affected matchmaking and viewer expectations: Fares Ziam’s withdrawal for personal reasons led to a late replacement, and Keita’s weight-cut issues removed a high-profile featherweight bout. Those disruptions may impact short-term scheduling and fighter activity in coming months.
Official statements
“The bout was removed from the card after medical staff assessed the fighter following an adverse weight cut,”
UFC update
Explainer
Rear-naked choke (RNC): a common submission where the attacker applies pressure to the opponent’s neck from behind, often leading to a tap or loss of consciousness. TKO (technical knockout) denotes the referee stopping the contest due to unanswered strikes or a fighter’s inability to defend.
Unconfirmed
- The official winner of Imavov vs. Borralho was not listed in the publicly posted quick-results summary at the time this piece was compiled.
- Whether the Imavov–Borralho victor will receive an immediate title shot against Khamzat Chimaev has not been formally announced by the UFC.
- Details surrounding Fares Ziam’s personal withdrawal were not disclosed by the fighter or promotion and remain private.
Bottom line
UFC Paris delivered a night of stoppages and a significant co-main victory for Benoit Saint-Denis while a main-card cancellation underscored ongoing concerns around extreme weight cuts. Confirmed outcomes from the prelims and main card reshape contender lists across multiple divisions; the headline middleweight contest outcome remains pending verification.