The 10 | Spotlighting September’s Most Intriguing Matchups

Undefeated inside the Octagon through his first five appearances and riding a 23-fight unbeaten streak overall, Fakhretdinov touches down in Paris coming off a debated win over Carlos Leal last October at UFC 308. The 33-year-old Russian has a grinding, suffocating style that can be difficult to contend with, but has also flashed the ability to get aggressive and really chase finishes in the past as well.

The welterweight Top 15 feels like it’s in a fluid state at the moment, with key fights starting to be announced and countless competitors jockeying for position inside and outside of the rankings. A dominant effort for either man may not earn them a number next to their name, but it could secure them a date with someone that is ranked next time out.

William Gomis vs Robert Ruchala

France’s William Gomis looks to get things moving in the right direction again as he squares off with promotional newcomer Robert Ruchala.

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After earning victories in each of his first four UFC appearances, Gomis landed on the wrong side of the cards in a competitive bout with Hyder Amil last time out. The loss halted a run of a dozen consecutive bouts with a win, and the combination of aiming to avoid a second straight setback and competing on home soil again should bring the best out of “Jaguar” when he makes the walk at Accor Arena.

Ruchala is a 27-year-old Polish fighter who owns an impressive 11-1 record who won and successfully defended the KSW interim featherweight title in his last two fights. His only loss came against the outstanding Salahdine Parnasse, he’s earned each of his last three wins by impressive stoppages, and profiles as a fighter on the rise heading into his first foray into the Octagon.

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Gomis started to build momentum heading into his last outing and will surely be looking to quickly recapture it here, while Ruchala has an opportunity to catapult himself to the fringes of the Top 15 with a statement effort. This should be a captivating battle early in the night for the fans in Paris — and those of us watching at home — to enjoy.

Patricio Pitbull vs Losene Keita

Two fights after being the new arrival, Patricio Pitbull now plays the part of the UFC welcoming committee as he faces off with debuting Belgian standout Losene Keita on September 6th.

Following more than a decade as the dominant force under the Bellator MMA shingle, Pitbull debuted in April with a unanimous decision loss to Yair Rodriguez in a bout where he seemed a little hesitant to pull the trigger. He was more active and effective in his second showing against Dan Ige, earning the win with 29-28 scores across the board, and now makes the quick turnaround here to hustle back into the cage seven weeks later.

Keita has been one of the most intriguing rising stars on the global scene for the last several years, serving as a two-division force and champion for Oktagon MMA. The 27-year-old carries a 16-1 record and five-fight winning streak into his maiden UFC voyage, with 10 of his last 13 victories coming inside the distance.

Will Pitbull prove to be too much of a veteran test for the promotional newcomer or will Keita continue to impress and excel now that he’s arrived on the biggest stage in the sport?

Benoît Saint Denis vs Mauricio Ruffy

It’s guaranteed action in this one as Benoit Saint Denis and Mauricio Ruffy clash in the Paris co-main event.

After entering 2024 as a divisional dark horse, back-to-back losses had Saint Denis looking to right the ship earlier this year in Montreal. A late shift in opponents landed him opposite Canadian veteran Kyle Prepolec, whom he submitted in the second round to get things moving in the right direction again and maintain his 100 percent finishing rate.

Lopes’ whirlwind two-year run that started with a surprising debut and was followed by five straight wins wrapped up with a loss to Alexander Volkanovski in a bout for the vacant featherweight title at UFC 314 in April. The Mexico-based Brazilian struggled to get into gear early in the fight, but found his footing later in the contest, and will look to keep himself in the upper tier of potential contenders in the division with a win over Silva here.

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The third member of the Fighting Nerds posse to compete this month, Silva has been a captivating marauder since earning his place on the roster during Season 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series. After earning three wins in his 2024 rookie campaign, “Lord” has already posted consecutive stoppage wins this year to advance to 5-0 in the UFC and 16-2 overall, most recently submitting Bryce Mitchell at UFC 314.

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Loma Lookboonmee vs Alexia Thainara

It’s a battle of ascending strawweights in Perth as Loma Lookboonmee and Alexia Thainara share the Octagon in an under the radar preliminary card battle.

Lookboonmee has quietly and steadily built a solid record over the course of her nearly six-year UFC tenure, going 7-2 and arriving in Australia on a four-fight winning streak. She’s only lost to rankings mainstays Angela Hill and Loopy Godinez, and has continued to show small, but meaningful, improvements each time out.

The 27-year-old Thainara is yet another member of the DWCS Class of ’24 that has impressed straight out of the gates after earning a first-round submission win over Molly McCann in her promotional debut back in March. Training with Amanda Ribas, “Burguesinha” has won 10 straight, with her lone setback coming against current UFC fighter Bruna Brasil in just her third professional appearance.

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Strawweight remains deep and steady, but a strong outing for either fighter here should carry them to the fringes of the rankings and possibly a date with a ranked opponent next time out.

Carlos Ulberg vs Dominick Reyes

Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes go head-to-head in the Western Australia capital in this light heavyweight main event pairing with legitimate championship ramifications.

Ulberg has posted eight straight wins since dropping his UFC debut all the way back in 2021, most recently besting former champ Jan Blachowicz on the scorecards in London. This is his first main event assignment and it comes in front of a partisan crowd in Australia no less, so it will be interesting to see how the City Kickboxing man handles the increased pressure and attention of being the last to walk later this month.