News Cédric Doumbé is set to fight Baki Chamsoudinov at PFL Paris 2, March 7

[spinup]

I think you are grossly underestimating Baki. Styles make fights, and he is the worst possible style matchup for Doumbe.

How so? Baki is not a finisher, and his top control is not really spectacular.

Sure he could trip Doumbe 4 times per round, but to what end? And that's assuming he can get close enough, he has a big reach deficit next to Doumbe.

On the feet, Baki lookq very good next to a run-of-the-mill mma fighter. Against Doumbe, he would do nothing.
Put any of Baki's opponent in front of Doumbe and they would have a very short night, I guarantee you.

 

[Ares Black]

"

How so? Baki is not a finisher, and his top control is not really spectacular.

Sure he could trip Doumbe 4 times per round, but to what end? And that's assuming he can get close enough, he has a big reach deficit next to Doumbe.

On the feet, Baki lookq very good next to a run-of-the-mill mma fighter. Against Doumbe, he would do nothing.
Put any of Baki's opponent in front of Doumbe and they would have a very short night, I guarantee you.

I suppose we will find out

 

[Feniamin]

He is french.

He is ethnic Chechen. I even saw Chechen fans joking about his looks (looks too much like a Chinese or Asian).

 

[BoxerMaurits]

Apparently the fight is not official yet and Doumbe did not even get an offer yet (according to him).

I smell Fernand Lopez dirty trick here. Leak to the media that the fight is official to put Doumbe against the wall to sign it or look bad of he does not.

What does Doumbé say here?:

 

[spinup]

What does Doumbé say here?:

He says he is surprized to see the announcements because he has not even received an offer yet.

I find odd that PFL would sign and book for a big fight someone who caused his last main event to be cancelled because he missed weight at 170lbs. That's quite a risk to take.
Doumbe will not fight him at 185lbs.

 

[BoxerMaurits]

He says he is surprized to see the announcements because he has not even received an offer yet.

I find odd that PFL would sign and book for a big fight someone who caused his last main event to be cancelled because he missed weight at 170lbs. That's quite a risk to take.
Doumbe will not fight him at 185lbs.

Thanks, any updates already?
La Sueur acts like the fight is happening:

 

[HuskySamoan]

He is ethnic Chechen. I even saw Chechen fans joking about his looks (looks too much like a Chinese or Asian).

I'm willing to bet it's less these conspiracies you're suggesting of people of color and ethnic backgrounds, especially since a huge portion of French talent the UFC already signed is west African. The UFC does not want to pay top dollar for prospects, they understand many of them flop, that much of the top talent will take a huge initial price cut to sign with the UFC and so on....they just don't care. They want to offer them contender series bouts for 8k and then scaling 12k/12k starter contracts. If this was like the NFL draft, Baki would be a 1st round draft pick based of his age, athletic abilities, record, skills and potential.

Definitely they don't want too many Russians or too many very talented grapplers, that's the case period though. They feel it waters down the excitement of the sport and marketability to Western audiences. Wouldn't surprise me if they wanted Baki though, but the weight miss paired with PFL probably offering him considerably more than the UFC would...ehh. It's getting common these days.

 

[Deleted member 587672]

Never heard of him but if he's called "Baki" then he'll win

 

[Feniamin]

I'm willing to bet it's less these conspiracies you're suggesting of people of color and ethnic backgrounds, especially since a huge portion of French talent the UFC already signed is west African. The UFC does not want to pay top dollar for prospects, they understand many of them flop, that much of the top talent will take a huge initial price cut to sign with the UFC and so on....they just don't care. They want to offer them contender series bouts for 8k and then scaling 12k/12k starter contracts. If this was like the NFL draft, Baki would be a 1st round draft pick based of his age, athletic abilities, record, skills and potential.

Definitely they don't want too many Russians or too many very talented grapplers, that's the case period though. They feel it waters down the excitement of the sport and marketability to Western audiences. Wouldn't surprise me if they wanted Baki though, but the weight miss paired with PFL probably offering him considerably more than the UFC would...ehh. It's getting common these days.

I saw one guy on Telegram channel about Chechen fighters claimed that Baki told him that he is not signed to PFL.

 

[HuskySamoan]

I saw one guy on Telegram channel about Chechen fighters claimed that Baki told him that he is not signed to PFL.

I hope you are right. Would love to see him in the UFC.

 

[Feniamin]

I'm willing to bet it's less these conspiracies you're suggesting of people of color and ethnic backgrounds, especially since a huge portion of French talent the UFC already signed is west African. The UFC does not want to pay top dollar for prospects, they understand many of them flop, that much of the top talent will take a huge initial price cut to sign with the UFC and so on....they just don't care. They want to offer them contender series bouts for 8k and then scaling 12k/12k starter contracts. If this was like the NFL draft, Baki would be a 1st round draft pick based of his age, athletic abilities, record, skills and potential.

Definitely they don't want too many Russians or too many very talented grapplers, that's the case period though. They feel it waters down the excitement of the sport and marketability to Western audiences. Wouldn't surprise me if they wanted Baki though, but the weight miss paired with PFL probably offering him considerably more than the UFC would...ehh. It's getting common these days.

The whole idea, according to Russian journalist (or journalists?) is like that - fighters with French roots has a following in France (like Poirier, GSP), so UFC understands that to get numbers in France they need some French/White Christian fighters, not some African/Asian/Polynesian Muslim/Buddhist. So that’s why BSD is getting a top opponent.
I guess that it might be the case here too - Asian looking Muslim from Russia. I doubt that thousands of people in France will buy tickets to watch his fight. So no need for UFC to rush and sign him and offer him a lot of money.

 

[HuskySamoan]

The whole idea, according to Russian journalist (or journalists?) is like that - fighters with French roots has a following in France (like Poirier, GSP), so UFC understands that to get numbers in France they need some French/White Christian fighters, not some African/Asian/Polynesian Muslim/Buddhist. So that’s why BSD is getting a top opponent.
I guess that it might be the case here too - Asian looking Muslim from Russia. I doubt that thousands of people in France will buy tickets to watch his fight. So no need for UFC to rush and sign him and offer him a lot of money.

Benoit wasn't rushed to anything or pushed promotion wise. He was signed for peanuts, had to win 5 fights in a row by finish at Lightweight to get a top 10 opponent (they expected Hooker and lucked out with Dustin obliging, LW needs new contenders since division is so stale). Benoit was supposed to lose to Bonfim lol. As for Poirier having a French fanbase, I seriously fucking doubt it and think Baki would have a stronger one. Poirier was signed for peanuts from the WEC merger and was a prelim fighter for years...


As for GSP, GSP is one of the biggest stars and best fighters, athletes in MMA ever...not really comparable. UFC wouldn't have shelled out money to sign Benoit or Poirier if competitors were interested at that time either, obviously.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

The whole idea, according to Russian journalist (or journalists?) is like that - fighters with French roots has a following in France (like Poirier, GSP), so UFC understands that to get numbers in France they need some French/White Christian fighters, not some African/Asian/Polynesian Muslim/Buddhist. So that’s why BSD is getting a top opponent.
I guess that it might be the case here too - Asian looking Muslim from Russia. I doubt that thousands of people in France will buy tickets to watch his fight. So no need for UFC to rush and sign him and offer him a lot of money.

They've signed Oumar Sy, Morgan Charriere and Yannis Ghemmouri in the last year who are all ethnic minority French.

They also headline their Paris shows with Gane, so I don't think it's that. Probably more likely something to do with the MMA factory issue.

 

[spinup]

Benoit wasn't rushed to anything or pushed promotion wise. He was signed for peanuts, had to win 5 fights in a row by finish at Lightweight to get a top 10 opponent (they expected Hooker and lucked out with Dustin obliging, LW needs new contenders since division is so stale). Benoit was supposed to lose to Bonfim lol. As for Poirier having a French fanbase, I seriously fucking doubt it and think Baki would have a stronger one. Poirier was signed for peanuts from the WEC merger and was a prelim fighter for years...


As for GSP, GSP is one of the biggest stars and best fighters, athletes in MMA ever...not really comparable. UFC wouldn't have shelled out money to sign Benoit or Poirier if competitors were interested at that time either, obviously.

Yep, St Denis did not get any shortcut, they actually got pretty rough on him.
Debut on short notice at 170lbs against a juiced Zaleski...

And can confirm, french don't give a fuck about Poirier (or DC, or Du Plessis). Just because he has french name? He doesn't speak french and probably has never set foot on that country.

Baki on the other hand...very strong fan base, especially in the young audience.

 

[spinup]

They've signed Oumar Sy,

Any update on Oumar Sy's next fight?

 

[HuskySamoan]

Yep, St Denis did not get any shortcut, they actually got pretty rough on him.
Debut on short notice at 170lbs against a juiced Zaleski...

And can confirm, french don't give a fuck about Poirier (or DC, or Du Plessis). Just because he has french name? He doesn't speak french and probably has never set foot on that country.

Baki on the other hand...very strong fan base, especially in the young audience.

Everyone's juiced the PED testing isn't much effective unless costs reach such absurd levels. Please not just you but everyone shut the fuck up and educate yourself. There's literal testing agents talking about Olympic testing protocols and what it takes to even just have a REASONABLE chance to catch someone....millions of dollars in resources usually, focusing on a particular group or individual and pursuing it over the course of months or even years. No sporting promotion is doing this, let alone consistently or roster wide...UFC testing is mostly just a front to make idiots feel better about what they're watching. Too many testimonies and studies on athletes passing dozens, even hundreds of tests while doping.

I don't know all the science of isotope testing, freezing samples to retroactively test as the testing methods catch up to past doping methods etc. But just about anyone can pass these fucking tests. "A juiced Zaleski", Paulo Costa is the cleanest athlete in USADA history. If Olympic Lifters and Sprinters who are tested the most stringently of any athletes are consistently passing tests and we know for a fact Sprinters and lifters at that level are mostly doping if not all of them...the fuck do you expect from UFC fighters?

 

[Koala]

The fight contract is signed

Any update on Oumar Sy's next fight?

Injured

 

[STAY GOLD]

 

[Bubzeh]

It is time.

 

[spinup]

The fight contract is signed

The atmosphere and build up are going to be absolutely epic.
And they are doing in the Accor Hotel Arena, the same venu eused by the UFC. It has a 20 000 seats capacity, compared to 6800 for the arena where the last PFL paris took place. That's how confident PFL is with Doumbe.

With Ngannou and St Denis fighting the following day, crazy fight week for french fans.