When France made the decision to make MMA legal back in January of 2020, they awoke a sleeping giant. The atmosphere provided by the French fans has quickly become the stuff of legend as one of the best live crowds in the world right now. Right at the centre of it is superstar striker Cédric Doumbé who is one of the most interesting fighters in MMA right now. 

His next fight is different from all of his other MMA bouts for multiple reasons. For a start, it’s his first outing under the Bellator banner as the Champions Series debuts in France at the Accor Arena on May 17. More importantly, it’s also the first time he’s coming into an MMA contest following a defeat.

In his past fights, Doumbé has carried with him an aura of invincibility. Any pressure he had on his shoulders to perform in front of his fans seemed to only fuel him to put on more of a show for them but this wasn’t the case last time out. The former kickboxing star suffered a bump in the road, or rather a splinter in the foot, when he faced off with the undefeated Baysangur Chamsoudinov. Whilst a rematch between the pair may loom overhead following the sudden, confusing and disappointing end to their first contest, Doumbé’s focus is now on putting the past in the past. If there’s anyone that can make you live in the present, it’s him.

Outrage in the PFL last night as the main event of the night Doumbe vs Baki is stopped due to Mark Goddard stepping in.

Doumbe claimed there was a splinter in his foot to Baki and mark Goddard called the fight off and gave Baki the win by TKO. Weird night in Paris 🇫🇷#PFLParis pic.twitter.com/GRe0EOLict

— Cage Chronicle (@CageChronicle) March 8, 2024

However, this fight is different and more exciting for another reason. Doumbé’s last outing certainly had some added tension but considering he was up against another French talent with a bright future in MMA, the crowd wasn’t particularly hostile. This may not be the case on May 17 after some of the things that Jaleel Willis has said ahead of the fight.

After Derek Anderson suffered an incredibly unfortunate injury the day after he was announced to be Doumbé’s next opponent, former LFA champion Willis stepped up to the plate. He’s let it be no secret that he has no problem playing up to the villain role in this fight and in turn, uniting a French crowd against him.  

Along with some crossfire on social media, the words between the two men hit a new high during the recent global media call where Willis made his intentions very clear before the French fighter rallied the people around him.

“How many times does anybody get to go into anyone’s backyard and dominate and do some s*** and be glorified for it and not get locked up” said Willis with Doumbé responding by rallying his troops.“France is waiting for me, all the French crowd, the French people and even American people are waiting for me to knock him out. I will do what I do best, rip his head off, shut his mouth and send him back to the U.S.” 

As if the French crowd needed any more reason to blow the roof off the Accor Arena for the co-main event, there is a different intensity to this fight. This time around, it feels like their French superstar is defending home turf against an oncoming invasion. With his people around him, the stars in attendance and the brightest spotlight hanging overhead, Cédric Doumbé will look to prove why he leads this French revolution from the front.

Bellator Champions Series debuts in France on May 17 at the Accor Arena where Patchy Mix will look to defend his bantamweight title in a rematch with Magomed Magomedov in the main event.

Former ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Smilla Sundell is on a quest to reclaim the crown she never lost in battle after her latest ONE Championship victory.

“The Hurricane” scored a second-round finish over Natalia Diachkova in the main event of ONE Fight Night 22 this past Saturday, 4th May, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing en route to it.

In the early going, Diachkova made life difficult for Sundell, and she credited the Russian star for her showing after the fight.

“Yeah, it’s one of my biggest challenges. All my opponents are very tough and very different. So it’s hard to say which one’s the best of them,” she said.

“But yes, she got me good in the first round. So yeah, she’s definitely at the top.” 

The win should have gone down as the Swede’s second successful defense of the women’s strawweight Muay Thai crown. But that wasn’t to be after she missed weight in the leadup and was stripped of the World Title.

There is little doubt that she’s still the top dog in the division after her performance against Diachkova, though, and Sundell only has eyes on reclaiming the gold from here.

“I’ve been very sad [to lose the belt]. But I’ve had many people online, on social media [who have] been supporting me. And it meant a lot to me. It kept me going today,” the 19-year-old sensation said.  

“She got me good in the first round, so I knew I couldn’t stop there because I had my family around me, and I wanted to show them that I’m still the best.

“It doesn’t matter who I fight. I just love fighting. So yeah, anyone who steps into the ring with me. I really want my belt back.”

With the dust settled in Rio de Janeiro, it’s time to take a look at what’s next for the winners and losers of UFC 301.

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(c) Alexandre Pantoja (28-5) – UFC flyweight champion

In another hard-fought performance, flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja retained his title in front of a home crowd in Brazil. With his second defense in the bag, he is already the second most accomplished champion in the history of the division. The scarce amount of deserving contenders makes it hard to pick out a deserving challenger, so I would advocate for ‘The Cannibal’ to take on the winner of an eliminator between Amir Albazi and Muhammad Mokaev.

(#10) Steve Erceg (12-2) – former UFC title challenger

Australia’s Steve Erceg gave a fantastic account of himself in his first UFC title bid, despite being less than a year into his run with the promotion. He will certainly remain in championship contention after this, and I think he should get another major fight after this. Brandon Royval won’t be getting another crack at the belt anytime soon, given his two losses to the champ, so I think this makes lots of sense.

Jose Aldo (32-8) – two-time UFC featherweight champion

What else is there to say about Jose Aldo? The Hall of Famer returned from retirement and put on one of his better performances ever against a top fifteen contender. If he decides to re-sign with the UFC and go on one final run at gold, I think Henry Cejudo is the ideal opponent. Dominick Cruz is obviously another great option, but Cejudo fought for the title a year ago and is closer to title contention. Either way, the King of Rio is back and that’s awesome.

(#12) Jonathan Martinez (19-5) – bantamweight contender

There is no shame for Jonathan Martinez in losing to Jose Aldo. I don’t think a loss to a former champion will harm his stock, though a fight outside of the rankings is likely in order for his next bout. Undefeated prospect Farid Basharat has been on the fringe of bantamweight contention for a while, and Martinez has made a name on beating hyped prospects. Book it for Manchester, if possible!

(#10) Anthony Smith (38-19) – former UFC title challenger

Every few years, Anthony Smith beats a surging contender, steals their hype and reignites his title hopes; that’s what we saw at UFC 301. If he doesn’t fight Bogdan Guskov next, it is a waited opportunity. I don’t even have to explain why this suggestion makes sense. Just search a photo of Smith and Guskov standing beside each other.

Vitor Petrino (11-1) – light heavyweight contender

Coming into this bout, it seemed like Vitor Petrino wouldn’t be stopped, but his inexperience at the highest level seemed to trip him up. Still, he is a solid prospect at 205lbs that has finishing ability. Ryan Spann has been on a small slide lately, but also has power in both hands, much like Petrino. I say that it makes sense.

Michel Pereira (31-11, 2 NC) – middleweight contender

Michel Pereira is bloody amazing inside the ring. His move to 185lbs has only made him a stronger force nature, as demonstrated by his sub-sixty stoppage on Saturday. A ranked middleweight has to be next. I would recommend Roman Dolidze as an opponent and, if it can be organised, it should be done in Brazil. ‘Demolidor’ has star potential in his home country.

Ihor Potieira (20-6) – middleweight contender

Given that he didn’t even get a chance to showcase his arsenal in this 54 second bout, it’s hard to pinpoint where Ihor Potieria should go next. I’m going to suggest Bruno Silva, because why not? It’d be fun, probably.

(#14) Caio Borralho – middleweight contender

The unbeaten run of Caio Borralho continued in Brazil, where he claimed a second round knockout. The showcase gave the impression that ‘The Natural’ is ready for a step up in competition, which I would agree with. He called for Jared Cannonier, but has been slated to take on Nassourdine Imavov later this year. Jack Hermansson, however, is available and riding the hype of crushing the surge of Joe Pyfer. I could see this matchup headlining a card at some point.

(#13) Paul Craig – middleweight contender

Back-to-back losses in three middleweight appearances are not ideal for Paul Craig. I think that questions for retirement will be floated for the 36 year old, but if he wants to continue fighting, a bout with former champion Chris Weidman would work well. The Scot is will be trying to defend his ranking, while the New Yorker will be attempting to re-enter the top fifteen.

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