Athletes
William Gomis: 'It's My Moment'
Ascending Featherweight Fighting At Home Ahead Of Clash With Joanderson Brito At UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Saint Denis This Saturday In Paris, France
While mixed martial arts went through its period of illegality here in North America, the idea of athletes from Canada and the United States not being able to compete on their home soil seems like a distant, fading memory, which, in turn, can take some of the allure and emotion out of instances where competitors get to make the walk to the Octagon in their own backyards or somewhere relatively close to home.
But for William Gomis, the opportunity to compete in Paris for the third straight year still carries with it strong emotions, as it wasn’t that long ago that hopefuls like the ascending featherweight were unable to compete in France, and faced a chorus of voices telling him that his UFC dreams were unrealistic.
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“Yeah, (it brings up) a lot of emotions for me and for the people,” Gomis said on Tuesday ahead of his clash with Joanderson Brito on the main card of Saturday’s UFC return to Accor Arena in the French capital. “For French people, it’s amazing. We were waiting years to have MMA in France, and now we have UFC in Paris, so it’s exciting to be there again.”
MMA was banned in France in 2016, and only became legal again on January 1, 2020. Since then, the sport has witnessed a proliferation of talent emerging from the proud sporting nation, with promotions like Ares FC stepping to the fore on the regional scene and competitors like Ciryl Gane and Benoit Saint Denis making their presence felt on the big stage.
The UFC first ventured to “The City of Light” three years ago, playing to a packed and partisan crowd that roared as Gane closed out the show with a third-round stoppage win over Tai Tuivasa. Earlier in the evening, Gomis, his teammate at the MMA Factory, made his first foray into the famed Octagon, collecting a majority decision win over Jarno Errens.
Last year, when the promotion made its second trip to the shores of the Seine, Gomis turned in his best performance to date, registering a third-round stoppage win over Yanis Ghemmouri, finishing him with a precise kick to the body.
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And now this weekend, Gomis joins Saint Denis as the only two fighters to compete on all three UFC events in Paris.
“I’m very proud to have that because I think nobody could imagine it before,” said the affable featherweight, who has won 11 straight overall heading into the weekend. “When I started MMA, nobody believed in me (reaching) the UFC, and now I’m co-co-main event in Paris, in front of my family and everybody.
“It’s amazing for me. I have to live this moment 100 percent and give all that I have.”
Saturday’s contest stands as both a return home and a return to action for Gomis, who has endured a challenging year since his win over Ghemmouri last September.
Originally scheduled to return to action in February against Melsik Baghdasaryan, Gomis was forced to withdraw for undisclosed reasons, leading to him being booked into a clash with Dana White’s Contender Series grad Jean Silva at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro at the start of May.
When “Jaguar” went to step on the scales the morning before the fight, he came in a pound-and-a-half below the divisional limit while still wearing his shirt and shorts, but he was too ill to compete and the bout was scrapped, pushing his return to action back to this weekend, giving the 27-year-old plenty of time to reflect on his time in Brazil.
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“For me, it was very difficult. I feel like a survivor after that,” he said, smiling, the experience clearly in his rear-view mirror. “Now, nothing can scare me.”
While nothing may be able to scare him, his matchup with Brito this weekend is certainly something that should at least give the type of nervous butterflies that serve as harbingers of something big and eventual on the horizon.
Since losing his promotional debut at the outset of 2022, the 29-year-old Brazilian has posted five straight stoppage wins to carry himself to the brink of breaking into the Top 15 in the featherweight division. Though a couple of those victories came against over-matched, short-notice opponents, Brito’s run of success began with a 41-second finish of Andre Fili and currently features consecutive second-round stoppage wins over Jonathan Pearce and Jack Shore as the last two wins in the streak.
“I know he’s strong, punches hard, but he’s not smart,” Gomis said when asked his thoughts on Brito, chuckling as he offered his assessment of the man he’ll share the Octagon with this weekend. “It’s gonna be very good for me because I am strong and I am smart.”
For the surging Parisian, Saturday’s contest is set to be his coming out party, and the fact that he gets to do it at home, in front of family and friends, only makes it sweeter.
“It’s time! Everybody is gonna know me now,” he said, a smile lighting up his face when asked about his pairing with Brito feeling like a potential breakout moment. “For sure, it’s time! It’s my moment. I’m ready.
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“I feel good to be the co-co-main event; it’s good for me,” Gomis added. “I’m happy to be here, I’m happy to be there, and I’ll go to show them what I can do."
And how would it feel to register a third straight win in Paris and the biggest victory of his career on in front of a partisan crowd?
“It’s gonna be a big sensation — like if I have a baby!”
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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