UFC Paris: 5 Huge Fights for Dana White to Make

UFC Paris surpassed expectations and went above and beyond, culminating in a record-breaking night. Fans inside the Accor Arena got to see an incredible 11 out of 13 fights end in spectacular finishes! More impressive even, the event is now tied with UFC Sydney (2014), UFC 224 (2018), and UFC 281 (2022) for the most finishes in a single event. All in all, Dana White must be thrilled with how France delivered top-notch entertainment. But the real excitement is just getting started!   

Nassourdine Imavov and Benoit Saint Denis delivered stellar victories in front of their home crowd! Now, they are ready to take the next big steps in their careers. On the other hand, Fighting Nerds members Caio Borralho and Mauricio Ruffy had to face tough setbacks. With so many paths ahead, the UFC head honcho will have his hands full when deciding what’s next for them. That said, here are the top 5 matchups the promotion should consider after UFC Paris. 

Nassourdine Imavov to face Khamzat Chimaev after UFC Paris 

At UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev dominated Dricus du Plessis for all five rounds to claim the middleweight crown. Almost immediately after ‘Borz’ became champ, discussions about his next opponent started spreading among fans. Some even went as far as to claim there aren’t any worthy challengers who can withstand his grappling prowess. Still, Nassourdine Imavov’s name has always been at the top of the list, and for very good reasons.

‘The Sniper’ had a true resurgence after his loss to Sean Strickland in 2023. Even though his bout against Chris Curtis at UFC 289 ended in a no-contest, he never looked back. He went on to defeat Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, and Brendan Allen, showing that his career was on the rise. But his golden era as one of the top 185 lbs fighters was only just beginning. 

Imavov then became the second man ever to knock out Israel Adesanya at the UFC Saudi Arabia main event. That nearly cemented his title shot opportunity. Yet, he chose to take on a surging contender like Caio Borralho, someone who could’ve derailed his winning streak and jeopardized his title shot hopes. But Imavov delivered a classy performance against the Fighting Nerds captain in the UFC Paris headliner, keeping his title dreams alive and stronger than ever. By most measures, he’s checked all the boxes. However, currently, there’s a situation that he can’t control.

The UFC has kept things interesting by matching Reiner de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez as the headliner for UFC Vancouver on October 18th, which Dana White has hinted could have title implications. ‘RDR’ just secured a razor-thin but significant win over Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi, and ‘Fluffy’ had an impressive a submission victory over Roman Dolidze at UFC Vegas 109. So, the fight itself makes sense. Still, even the winner of this fight doesn’t come close to what Imavov has accomplished.   

If you just look at the 29-year-old’s record, you’ll see that his last five wins came against opponents who are currently ranked in the division. But if De Ridder gets past Hernandez, he’ll only have two ranked victories to his name. That highlights the gap between two of the division’s biggest stars. For that reason alone, Imavov should topple over every contender in his path to earn a shot at Chimaev next.

Plus, the majority of fans want to see Imavov face ‘Borz,’ even though experts like Joe Rogan believe that ‘RDR’ would be a better stylistic matchup for Chimaev.  That said, after stating the case for the UFC Paris headliner, who clearly deserves the title shot next! Let’s dive into the winner of the co-main event, Benoit Saint Denis. 

Benoit Saint Denis vs Mateusz Gamrot 

Benoit Saint Denis has been one of those fighters that fans believe could make it big in the UFC. The Frenchman was on fire from 2022 to 2023, riding a five-fight win streak and picking up three straight performance bonuses as well. So, after witnessing ‘BSD’s stellar performances, the promotion decided to match him against Dustin Poirier in the co-main event of UFC 299. But, unfortunately, that fight didn’t go well for him. 

‘The Diamond’ ended Saint Denis’ run with a second-round KO, which also earned him a title shot against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302. As Poirier was rejoicing,  the former French paratrooper, the nightmare had only just begun. He was next put up against Renato Moicano in his hometown at the Accor Arena last year during a fight night event. In that fight, the Brazilian silenced the crowd with a one-sided beatdown of their local hero.

After that loss, doubts started to creep in: Could the French ‘God of War’ ever return to his prime? What fans didn’t realize was that a comeback was waiting for him. The UFC gave him a test against debutant Kyle Prepolec at UFC 315, and ‘BSD’ passed it with flying colors. Still, the skepticism lingered! However, it went up in smoke when the Frenchman secured a second-round rear-naked choke victory over Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event at UFC Paris. 

Now, that begs the natural question: What’s next for him? Well, ‘BSD’s situation isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. He wants a quick turnaround at UFC 322 in Madison Square Garden, which isn’t a bad idea, but finding the right opponent could be a challenge for Dana White. One option the promotion could explore is matching him with the No. 8-ranked lightweight, Mateusz Gamrot, for a stellar fight.

The Polish fighter has been asking for opponents ranked above him, but Saint Denis could still be a solid option. The #12-ranked Michael Chandler might be eyeing a big-money fight against Conor McGregor at the White House event, while the 11th-ranked Renato Moicano has already beaten ‘BSD.’ So, in that sense, matching up with Gamrot makes perfect sense. However, it’ll be interesting to see whether Gamrot is willing to take on another lower-ranked opponent after facing Ludovit Klein in his last fight. 

That wraps up the winners of UFC Paris’ headliners! Now, let’s turn our attention to the fighting nerd’s favorite, who just suffered a major setback against Nassourdine Imavov.  

Caio Borralho vs Robert Whittaker   

Caio Borralho became the face of the Fighting Nerds after emerging as a surging contender in the middleweight division. Ever since his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, it was clear the Brazilian would make waves. And that’s exactly what he did. It didn’t take long for Borralho to establish himself and string together a seven-fight winning streak with notable victories over Jared Cannonier and Paul Craig.

That momentum was enough to lure Nassourdine Imavov into a showdown. Borralho’s confident demeanor and sharp pre-fight trash talk added fuel to the fire, setting up a clash in the UFC Paris main event. But France wasn’t forgiving, as ‘The Natural’ fell short after five hard rounds, losing a unanimous decision to ‘The Sniper’. Despite the setback, however, the future remains bright. A potential showdown with a legend may be the perfect stage for Borralho’s comeback.

Enter Robert Whittaker, who’s looking for a scrap. ‘The Reaper’ is currently on a two-fight skid against reigning champion Khamzat Chimaev and Reinier de Ridder, and he’d likely welcome the opportunity to face Borralho. For Whittaker, what’s more exciting than rebounding against a rising contender? For Borralho, nothing could be bigger than returning to the win column with a legend’s name on his resume. 

Again, that’s an interesting situation for the fans, and even more intriguing for those expecting to watch this fight in the future. But that’s not all! There’s also another star fight that might interest fellow Fighting Nerd Mauricio Ruffy as well.  

Mauricio Ruffy vs Terrence McKinney 

Just like the other members of the Fighting Nerds, Mauricio Ruffy was also on his way to superstardom. The Brazilian delivered a stellar wheel-kick knockout against King Green at UFC 313, which convinced Dana White and company to place him in a coveted co-headliner spot. That alone showed how highly the UFC viewed ‘One Shot’ as a potential next big star in the promotion.

However, his push to break into the lightweight division’s shark-infested top 15 hit a wall when Benoit Saint-Denis proved to be too much of a mountain to climb. The São Paulo native had no answer for ‘BSD’s relentless grappling, eventually giving up his back and tapping to a rear-naked choke. It was a monumental loss, and Ruffy’s title aspirations will have to wait as his ground game clearly needs serious fixing.

Still, in the meantime, a high-stakes showdown with Terrance McKinney could be the perfect next step. Both are explosive strikers who can put on a show in any arena. ‘T.Wrecks’ is riding a two-fight winning streak and carries serious knockout power, which makes him a dangerous test. But if Ruffy can weather the storm and come out victorious, it’s a no-brainer that he’d earn another shot at cracking the rankings and reigniting his dream.

But that’s not where the excitement ends. Another fighter, who recently shocked fans by going toe-to-toe with a legend, also deserves a marquee matchup to spread his wings further.

Modestas Baukauskas vs Zhang Minyang  

The UFC Paris headliners have definitely been getting most of the spotlight, but it has to be acknowledged that the entire card contributed to making it a successful night. On the main card, Modestas Bukauskas delivered a spectacular first-round finish against Paul Craig with a vicious elbow right before the buzzer.

For ‘Bear Jew,’ that marked the end of his UFC journey as he bid farewell to the sport he gave so much to. But for Bukauskas, his run toward light heavyweight glory may have just begun. The Lithuanian fighter had a rocky start to his UFC career, dropping three straight fights, but now he’s in the midst of a resurgence. His victory over Craig extended his winning streak to four, though he still remains outside the rankings at 205 pounds. His next goal is clear: crack into the top 15.

And who better to face than Zhang Mingyang? The Chinese powerhouse just suffered his first UFC loss against Johnny Walker in Shanghai, making a matchup with Bukauskas the perfect opportunity for both fighters to reassert themselves. However, whether the UFC wants to push Mingyang down the ladder or give him another chance to climb higher remains a question, since he looked impressive against other 205ers before falling to Walker. If not Mingyang, Alonzo Menifield could also be an excellent option for Bukauskas.

Both matchups would test him in different ways and could serve as his ticket to finally breaking into the rankings. With that being said, what do you think about these potential top-15 matchups Dana White could book after UFC Paris? Do you agree, or do you have even better options? The comments section is all yours!