Despite the withdrawal of fighters Muin Gafurov and Lucas Almeida from the UFC Paris event, replacements Taylor Lapilus and William Gomis will fight Caolan Loughran and Yanis Ghemmouri respectively, maintaining the event’s schedule.
UFC Paris took a blow recently, but managed to keep most of its lineup intact due to some adept rearrangements. On Wednesday, it was announced by the UFC that, after the withdrawal of Muin Gafurov and Lucas Almeida due to visa issues and injury respectively, new fights had been arranged for Saturday’s card. Taylor Lapilus (18-3) is now set to fight Caolan Loughran (8-0) in a bantamweight bout, while William Gomis (12-2) is scheduled to fight Yanis Ghemmouri (12-1) in a featherweight bout.
Prior to the changes, Lapilus was originally scheduled to take on Gafurov, while Gomis was prepped to fight against Almeida. On the other hand, Loughran and Ghemmouri were to face each other in a match at 135 pounds. For all these fighters, and especially Lapilus, who seems poised to make a triumphant return to UFC after leaving the promotion in 2015, the rearrangement could turn out to be a silver lining. Taylor Lapilus, who left the UFC with a 3-1 record and a victory in his kitty, has managed to earn considerable success on the international scene, securing 7 out of his last 8 fights.
Caolan Loughran is set to make his UFC debut following an impressive streak in Cage Warriors, where he not only won a bantamweight title but also maintained an undefeated record of 4-0, all by TKO. William Gomis will be eyeing to go 3-0 in the UFC, after triumphing in his two initial bouts for the promotion by decision. His rival, Ghemmouri, will also be making his first walk to the octagon carrying an enviable nine-fight winning streak. The UFC Paris event will be hosted at Accor Arena on Saturday and will be highlighted by a riveting heavyweight contenders clash between Ciryl Gane and Serghei Spivac.