Morgan Charriere | Patience Is Key For 'The Last Pirate'

Before, MMA was not legal and we were a bit like an underground type of sport,” recalls Charriere. “So we had nothing: no media, no recognition, no money, nothing. We were the crazy guys. Nobody was looking at MMA, nobody was knowing what it was, so it was a tough time for us as athletes. So my generation, the guys from my generation that kept fighting and had great results, we're some of the best in the world right now because it was so hard for us to get to that level because we had nothing. Even in the gym, we didn't have a cage to train, we didn't have great trainers, we had no money, no sponsorships. It was really just pure patience and pure love for fighting.”

So when Charriere made his Cage Warriors debut in 2019 against Soren Bak, it was his first time fighting in a cage. He lost that bout by split decision, but in 2020, everything changed. 

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“The first time I stepped in a cage was when I go to fight,” he said. “And so we were missing some skills, some things, and now that it's legal, everything changed. We have public recognition, and the sport is getting really big here in France because of social media, and because of what I've done on social media. MMA in France is really different than from other countries because I've created something that everyone can take a part in. I think in France right now, we are maybe the third sport just behind football (soccer) and rugby. And I think we can become the second sport because it's been five years that it's legal and we have big names.”

Charriere, still seven months shy of his 30th birthday, is already a big name at home – with the 296,000 Instagram followers to prove it – and he’s well on his way to carrying that success worldwide. And it’s not just because he’s good on social media. It’s because every fight is almost like a Hollywood action movie, complete with drama, twists and turns, and usually an explosive finish. 

“I'm trying to give the fans what I want to see,” Charriere said. “I love this sport and I want to make it greater and really give a show to the people. For me, MMA is an art. And yeah, I do it for myself, I love it, I want to make money, all of these things. But I think the thing that drivesme more is just making the people that look at it feel something. I want to make them feel like I am a superhero and they're looking at a movie. When I was younger, when I was looking at a movie, I was looking at the main character, the action man, and I was like, I want to fight like this. And so when I fight, I just want to do crazy things. I love knocking out people. I love being violent because violence is beautiful. It's an art to be able to do this. And we’re fighters, so we need to fight and try to hurt each other. This is the sport we have chose. And I try to make the fight beautiful and violent. That's all I'm looking for, and I'm really upset when I get a decision. I really want to finish fights. For me, the points don't mean nothing for me, it's like you are on the battlefield and if there's no referee or judges, one of us need to die.” 

Charriere laughs, and he knows how this all sounds to someone who doesn’t compete in or follow the sport, but he doesn’t apologize for any of it. He’s a fighter, and he’s here to fight. And since arriving in the UFC in 2023, he’s stepped up to the plate three times against Manolo Zecchini, Chepe Mariscal and Gabriel Miranda, earning two Performance of the Night bonuses and one Fight of the Night bonus. That’s who he is, and when I ask him to never change, you know it’s already in his DNA that he won’t. Maybe that’s why when he fights London’s Wood on Saturday, there won’t be any boos, only cheers.

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“I really see it as a gladiator thing,” said Charriere. “It cost me some losses because when you are fighting a smart dude that don't want to really fight and just picks up points, yeah, it's bothering me, but that's the sport and I'm just trying to knock this guy out or submit them,whatever I can find. For me, the finish is really the point. I want to make my fights look like movie fights. I want to show crazy stuff, head movement, crazy takedowns, crazy scrambles, submissions. And even if I'm hurt in a fight, it's painful, but it's beautiful to see someone go through this and just fight someone else and be like, I don't care about losing something and I will be there to fight you. That's why I want the people to look at me. I'm here to fight; I'm not just here to take some win. I don't really care. I just want to be known because I'm one of the greatest fighters and I put on a show.”