Athletes
William Gomis Eyeing Breakout Campaign
Talented French Featherweight Details 2025 Ambitions Ahead Of Clash With Hyder Amil
William Gomis likely sits in the “Second 15” in the UFC featherweight division, landing somewhere between Nos. 16 and 30 in the ultra-competitive and suddenly wide open 145-pound weight class. Through his first four appearances inside the Octagon, the 27-year-old from France has posted a perfect 4-0 mark, having earned a trio of victories at home in Paris and one win in Las Vegas, where he returns this weekend to kick off his 2025 campaign in a fascinating clash with ascending Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) grad Hyder Amil.
“It’s beautiful. It’s beautiful,” Gomis said excitedly when asked about competing at home and being buoyed by the partisan crowd in Paris. “When you go in the Octagon and you hear all the crowd, it’s amazing.
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“We have very good support and very good fans in France, and I’m happy to be one of the guys who represents the UFC in France.”
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Though there are just 11 natives of France on the roster at present, the nation that is relatively new to sanctioning mixed martial arts is clearly in the midst of a moment, and has been for the last couple years, honestly.
Heavyweight Ciryl Gane has claimed the interim title and fought for the undisputed belt, Manon Fiorot is poised to challenge for the flyweight title at UFC 315, and Nassourdine Imavov currently sits at No. 1 in the middleweight rankings following his second-round stoppage win over Israel Adesanya earlier this year. Mix in streaking lightweight Fares Ziam and unbeaten light heavyweight prospect Oumar Sy, and you have a strong crop of talent coming from the Western European epicenter of art and culture.
And Gomis is very much a part of that second collective that has yet to reach the top of their respective divisions but is getting closer with each subsequent appearance.
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Earning four consecutive wins in the UFC is a daunting task, regardless of division or opponent, and the fact that the ascending featherweight has done so while amassing a 14-2 record overall speaks volumes about his skill level and upside. But for right now, Gomis’ success in the Octagon hasn’t translated into greater fanfare or recognition as one of the top emerging names in the division, as three of his four bouts have gone the distance and been ultra-competitive contests.
Which is why the MMA Factory representative sees 2025 as a pivotal year in his career.
“For me, it’s the most important year, I think,” offered Gomis, who faced quality competition on the way to the UFC and has only lost to fellow UFC featherweight Morgan Charriere and KSW standout Saladine Parnasse, with each of those losses coming during his 2016 freshman campaign as a professional fighter. “I have to go forward and go up in the (weight class).
“I’m more comfortable in the UFC, in the Octagon, and I continue to progress all the time. After every fight, I’m better.
“I think everybody is gonna know soon who I am,” he added with a laugh when asked about his presence under the radar with the wider UFC audience. “I know I have the capacity and the talent to go to the Top 10. When I do a good knockout and my opponent goes to sleep, everybody is gonna know who I am.”
Forecasting a finish might sound like wishful thinking for someone that has ventured into the third round in each of his first four UFC appearances and seen the scorecards thrice, but this weekend’s matchup with Amil might be the pairing Gomis needs to truly showcase his skills and secure his second stoppage win inside the Octagon.
A member of the DWCS Class of ’23, the 34-year-old Amil posted a pair of wins in his rookie campaign last year, pairing off with Fernie Garcia in a back-and-forth dust-up in February before stopping JeongYeong Lee in one of the most chaotic 65-second fights you’re ever going to see in July.
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Now 10-0 as a professional, the Gilbert Melendez student and Scrap Pack representative has the aggressive approach that could play right into Gomis more counter-based attacks this weekend.
“He’s a good fighter — he goes forward, he has good boxing; he’s a striker like me,” Gomis said, offering his assessment of Amil. “I worked a lot for him. I take him seriously, so it’s gonna be a very good fight, and a hard fight for him.
“I’m gonna take advantage of his (aggressiveness),” he added. “In the first round, he’s gonna be very aggressive, but I’m gonna punch him a lot and he’s gonna go back, I think. In the second round, I’m gonna be the one doing the (pressuring).
“With my coach, with my team, we work a lot to finish the fights because I think the UFC and everyone wants that. Sometimes the (knockout) doesn’t come, but I work for that, and I hope it’s gonna come.”
And if it comes this weekend against Amil?
“It’s gonna be a big KO from me to start this year,” Gomis said, beaming. “It would be beautiful to start the year like this — a beautiful KO, him asleep on the mat.”
With this year established in his mind as the most important year of his career thus far, the ascending featherweight is hopeful that a relatively early start to his 2025 campaign will mean far greater activity than he’s been able to manage thus far in his UFC career.
Injuries and a weight-cutting miscue caused him to fight just once last year, when he edged out Joanderson Brito in Paris in September, and his four wins have come across three years, which has also contributed to his remaining one of the top unheralded talents in the talent-rich division.
But with a victory on Saturday, Gomis has his fingers crossed that he’ll be able to compete much more frequently going forward.
“Last year, I did just one fight, so this time, if I do three or four fights, I will be very happy and it will be very good for my career,” he said. “For the moment, it’s taken a lot of time, but I’m very passionate and I’m ready to continue my road.”
As for who he’d like to face next, that part is easy.
“Everybody!” he said smiling. “I want to fight everybody in the Top 15!”
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