Athletes
Oumar Sy Just Wants To Fight
Light Heavyweight Prospect Not Worried About Opponents, Rapid Ascents; Just Competing
If you pay attention to mixed martial arts long enough, you’ll start to recognize that there are certain types of fighters that tend to get fans and media types alike worked into a lather as they’re building their careers and eventually touch down in the UFC.
While there are ebbs and flows to all this, unbeaten prospects are one of the constants, with the baseline being that anyone that can navigate five, six, seven fights without incurring a loss is worth at least checking in on, and then it expands from there. Consistently finishing adds another layer of intrigue and excitement, and posting those stoppage wins against known commodities ratchets up the fascination even more.
Preview The Entire Paris Card, Fight By Fight
If that success and finishing ability carries over once those athletes step into the Octagon, things can escalate quicker than a news team melee in a San Diego alley, and if the competitor in question just so happens to fight in a division that is always in need of fresh, promising names, all bets are off.
This is why people are so eager to see Oumar Sy return to action this weekend in Paris opposite Da Woon Jung.
Unbeaten through his first 10 professional appearances and brandishing an 80-percent finishing rate, Sy rolled into the Octagon in May after nearly a year on the sidelines and multiple opponent shifts and made quick work of Tuco Tokkos, submitting the late replacement in the first round to register his first UFC victory.
Now, the streaking UFC sophomore returns home, with an increased spotlight and a step up in competition in front of him this weekend.
Inside The UFC Paris Main Event Between Moicano & Saint Denis
“I don’t have any nerves about it,” Sy said on Wednesday about competing in Paris. “I’m just excited to fight in my hometown; I can’t wait. Of course, it’s always a little bit of pressure to fight in front of my family, but I try to be disconnected from that and just be focused on the fight, to perform.”
In speaking with the light heavyweight newcomer, it’s clear that his desire to disconnect from the pressure of fighting at home in front of family and friends carries over to some of the other elements that can often feel cumbersome for an emerging talent in the early days of what looks like a promising UFC career.
While scores of new arrivals on the big stage are quick to lay out their plans for an expeditious trip to the top of their respective divisions and are fully equipped with a list of established foes they surely would trounce if given the opportunity, Sy is quick to point out that he’s not operating with a timetable or a personal hit list as he readies to make the walk to the Octagon for a second time.
“I don’t have any strategy about taking time or going (quickly) to the top of the division,” he offered through his manager, Guillaume Peltier. “I just take the fights the UFC gives to me and that’s it. I just want to be respected by my fans and my family, stay undefeated and continue to go ahead without any pretension of going fast or taking time.
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“For me, it doesn’t matter — I just want to fight and that’s it.”
After cycling through two other opponents before finally landing opposite Tokkos in April, things have been much more straightforward this time around, as Sy was paired off with Jung in a bout that reads on paper like a reasonable step up in competition for the undefeated French prospect.
The 30-year-old Jung has twice as many fights under his belt as Sy, with his last eight appearances coming under the UFC banner. He started extremely well, earning finishes in each of his first two fights while going 4-0-1 over his first five outings to climb to the doorstep of the Top 15 heading into 2022.
Since then, however, the South Korean veteran has stumbled, suffering consecutive losses to Dustin Jacoby, Devin Clark, and Carlos Ulberg, which means you can be sure that Jung will be dialed in when he descends on Sy’s turf on Saturday.
“You know, honestly, I don’t care about this opponent,” Sy admitted with a smirk. “I know he has more fights than me, but I don’t care — it’s just someone in my road and I have to kill him and go ahead.”
So far, he’s only ever walked out of the cage triumphant, and doing so again this weekend will undoubtedly be something special for the promising 28-year-old.
Should that come to pass, he would like to stay active, and though he’s not particularly fussed about who it is that will be standing opposite him inside the Octagon, Sy does have a preference on when and where the next one takes place.
“Yes! Yes!” he said excitedly when asked about trying to log another appearance before the year is out following Saturday’s event at Accor Arena. “December is perfect for me.
“I’d prefer Florida because I can make my camp at American Top Team and then be ready. I did my last one there, so I know the place, know the coaches; it would be perfect for me.”
UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Saint Denis took place live from Accor Arena in Paris, France on September 28, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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