On January 22, Hexagone MMA takes over the prestigious Zenith in Paris for its sixth show as the promotion returns to France following successful international debuts in the UAE and Germany. Ten professional mixed martial arts will be live-streamed in more than 150 countries, including the U.K., U.S. and Canada via DAZN.
The most anticipated bout is a catchweight clash between two experienced and renowned finishers, British UFC veteran Chris Fishgold (18-4-1), and France’s Yazid Chouchane (8-3) at 73 kilograms.
Fishgold’s last four MMA fights were with the UFC, where he faced notable top-tier talents, such as Calvin Kattar. Prior to that, the Liverpool native established his pedigree on the European circuit as a three-time world lightweight champion with Cage Warriors. With his high calibre grappling, Fishgold is particularly formidable on the ground and boasts an impressive 13 submission finishes across his 18 victories.
Chouchane comes to Hexagone MMA off the back of a recent 46-second victory via strikes at UAE Warriors and a four-fight stint with the promotion. He also possesses significant competitive experience dating back to 2011 under Pankration rules, preceding the legalization of MMA in France (in January 2020).
A second U.K. vs. France face-off sees British, grassroots pioneer Dean Garnett (9-2-1) meet Miguel Haro (9-9) in a bout at catchweight. Also hailing from Liverpool, Garnett has gained his credentials across promotions such as Cage Warriors and Bellator, turning down an opportunity with the UFC to meet Magomed Magomedov at ACB. His last victory was over Cage Warriors bantamweight champion Dominique Wooding. Also a renowned coach, one of Garnett’s best-known proteges is U.K. UFC signee Muhammad Mokaev.
The night’s headline spot is taken by former judo world champion Laetitia Blot (4-0), as she defends her flyweight world title against Lithuanian striker Ernesta Kareckaite (3-0). Among the four women’s bouts on the card, other upcoming talents to watch are Eva Dourthe (5-5), who faces returning Bellator veteran Stephanie Ielo Page (7-4-0), and the promising Nora Cornolle (3-1) matched against Brazil’s Priscila de Souza (12-10). While Dourthe won the very first European Beatdown women’s belt and has 10 fights to her name, Cornolle is an excellent judoka and muay Thai world medalist from a military background, who is on a three-fight win streak. Her last outing with UAE Warriors saw her finish with a magnificent ground-and-pound sequence.
Another notable matchup sees Romain Debienne, on a three-fight winning streak, face the Brazilian Victor Verchere, who has fought at Bellator in Paris, both making their Hexagone MMA debuts.
The Hexagone MMA 6 lineup includes:
- Champ Laetitia Blot vs. Ernesta Kareckaite – for women’s flyweight title
- Chris Fishgold vs. Yazid Chouchane
- Dean Garnett vs. Miguel Haro
- Romain Debienne vs. Victor Verchere
- Stephanie Ielo Page vs. Eva Dourthe
- Matthieu Letho vs. Tobiasz Lewandowski
- Nora Cornolle vs. Priscila de Souza
- Damien Losco Remy vs. Martin Horsky
- Wilson Varela vs. Kacper Brozdziak
- Parwaiz Arabzai vs. Nika Kobaxidze
