Tag: Morgan Charriere

Morgan Charriere ecstatic over UFC debut KO win in home country of France: ‘I feel like a rock star’

Morgan Charriere was thrilled with his UFC debut KO win in home country of France at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 226.

PARIS – [autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag]’s UFC debut was like few others.

The 27-year-old finally got to prove himself in the octagon this past Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 226 and he did so in impressive fashion. Not only did he debut at home in France, and did so with a win, but he scored a highlight-reel first-round knockout. It was the perfect scenario for the Frenchman.

“I feel like a rock star,” Charriere said at the post-fight press conference. “Like for real, I was like come on. It’s something indescribable. I work so hard just to have the people who follow me and knowing they can see me, it’s just a dream come true. My UFC debut is in France, and they had never seen me fight, so for them, it was something they had waited for and I did an incredible performance. So I did everything perfect for them and for me, so I’m really happy that everything played out like this.”

Charriere (19-9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) targeted the body of his opponent Manolo Zecchini (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with kicks. They eventually added up until the Italian fighter was badly hindered, and that’s when Charriere threw even more kicks.

This is something Charriere tells UFC fans they can expect moving forward.

“My kicks are really hard,” Charriere said. “I have really hard kicks that can hurt people and I know it. My coach take it a lot, and he takes about this, even with the gear. He’s like, ‘Come on, you hurt me so much,’ and I’m like, ‘Don’t worry, coach. I’m going to get him with it.’ I knew my kick was so powerful. Even if you put your hand, I break your hand, or I touch the liver. That’s what I did. I throw two or three more because he was already in pain. He couldn’t block, he couldn’t do nothing.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 226.

UFC Fight Night 226 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Multiple fighters top card with $11,000

UFC Fight Night 226 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

PARIS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 226 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $128,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 226 took place at the Accor Arena in France. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 226 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]William Gomis[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yanis Ghemmouri[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Manolo Zecchini[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Taylor Lapilus[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Caolan Loughran[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ange Loosa[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Rhys McKee[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nora Cornolle[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Joselyne Edwards[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Farid Basharat[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kleydson Rodrigues[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jacqueline Cavalcanti[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zarah Fairn[/autotag]: $4,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2261 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,735,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $20,324,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 226.

UFC Fight Night 226 bonuses: French winners, including Benoit Saint-Denis, dominate bonus recipients list

After UFC Fight Night 226, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Paris. Check out the winners.

The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including Fight of the Night to its headliners.

After UFC Fight Night 226, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Paris. Check out the winners below.

UFC Fight Night 226 video: Morgan Charriere double-body kicks Manolo Zecchini for the win, blows roof of Accor Arena

UFC lightweight Morgan Charriere nearly blew the roof off Accor Arena in Paris when he booted Manolo Zecchini twice in succession for a TKO.

“The Last Pirate” has officially arrived in the UFC – and in style.

[autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag] nearly blew the roof off Accor Arena at UFC Fight Night 226 in Paris when he dug his toes into the midsection of [autotag]Manolo Zecchini[/autotag] and followed it up with another massive body kick. The sequence earned Charriere (19-9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) his first UFC win when the referee saved Zecchini (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at 3:51 of Round 1.

The victory was Charriere’s first since he signed with the promotion in August. Charriere entered as a former Cage Warriors lightweight champion who accumulated a massive national following for his success in the YouTube and gaming social media communities. The win marked his fourth straight.

On the flip side, Italy’s Zecchini had a two-fight winning streak snapped. The bout Saturday was also his UFC debut.

The up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 226 results include:

  • Morgan Charriere def. Manolo Zecchini via TKO (body kicks) – Round 1, 3:51
  • Taylor Lapilus def. Caolan Loughran via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Ange Loosa def. Rhys McKee via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Nora Cornolle def. Joselyne Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Farid Basharat def. Kleydson Rodrigues via submission (arm triangle) – Round 1, 4:15
  • Jacqueline Cavalcanti def. Zarah Fairn via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-37, 30-27)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 226.

Fresh Ink: Meet the 30 fighters the UFC signed in August 2023

Find out who joined the UFC in August and learn more about them here.

The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.

Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, “Dana White’s Contender Series” signees, or rare straight-up additions. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.

“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.

Check out the August 2023 list below.

Morgan Charriere ready to make up for lost time after he missed out on first UFC Paris event

Morgan Charriere didn’t get the call from the UFC when the promotion came to France for the first time. Now he’s ready to make up for it.

PARIS – [autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag] didn’t get the call from the UFC when the promotion came to France for the first time in 2022. Now he’s ready to make up for it.

Charriere (18-9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) takes on Manolo Zecchini (11-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in a featherweight bout Saturday in Paris. It’s a year to the weekend after the UFC’s debut in the “City of Lights,” and at the time, Charriere was less than a year removed from a Cage Warriors interim featherweight title loss.

But after that, he went on a three-fight winning streak for Cage Warriors, including back-to-back stoppage wins earlier this year. Now he has his shot at the UFC.

Charriere talked about that and more at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 226 media day in Paris.

Check out the full interview in the video above. UFC Fight Night 226 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena and is the UFC’s second visit to France. The event streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 226.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (July 31-Aug. 6)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by a promotion from July 31-Aug. 6.

UFC signs French star Morgan Charriere ahead of Paris event

The UFC has signed Morgan Charriere, a former Cage Warriors champion and arguably the biggest star on the French regional scene.

“The Last Pirate” has hit shore on his voyage to the UFC.

French MMA star [autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag] has signed with the UFC, the promotion confirmed on social media Wednesday following an initial report by Maitres Fumiers.

One of the most popular fighters in all of Western Europe, Charriere (18-9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has grown a significant online presence not only through his fights – but through Twitch. Charriere served as a trainer for star Twitch user Kamet0 in a publicized weight loss attempt and gained notoriety in the online gaming community. Charriere has since expanded his brand on his YouTube channel as well.

It is unclear when Charriere will make his UFC debut, but with a UFC Fight Night event Sept. 2 in Paris, it could be less than two months away. In fact, that’s what he was told when he found out he was going to the UFC.

Charriere, 27, has 13 finishes in 18 career victories. He briefly held the Cage Warriors featherweight title in 2020 but was unsuccessful in his first defense, a controversial decision dropped against Jordan Vucenic. The defeat was followed by a loss to Paul Hughes. Since the skid, Charriere has won three straight fights.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for the UFC Fight Night on Sept. 2.

Cage Warriors 128 results: Paul Hughes claims interim belt in classic with Morgan Charriere

Paul Hughes’ superior grappling was the difference in claiming interim featherweight gold against Morgan Charriere at Cage Warriors 128.

[autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag]’ superior grappling was the difference in claiming interim featherweight gold against [autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag] in Friday’s Cage Warriors 128 main event.

The second headliner of Cage Warriors’ three-event weekend saw Hughes (8-1) put his pressure fighting and grappling to work to rack up points over the course of five rounds and net a majority decision over Charriere (17-9-1) by scores of 48-46, 47-47 and 49-45

Cage Warriors 128 took place at York Hall in London. The entire event streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

The first round was high intensity as both men came out throwing big strikes and exchanging grappling positions against the clinch and briefly on the ground.

Things picked up right where they left off in the second frame, with Charriere charging after Hughes and looking to take the fight to the ground. Hw ent for a submission attempt that left him in bottom position, but found his way up and fought from there.

The momentum started to swing significantly in the favor of Hughes in the third round. He landed a hard punch and subsequently found massive success in the grappling department, establishing top position and working to finish Charriere from the mount and back control. Charriere hung tough, though, and avoided a stoppage.

As the fight spilled over into the championship rounds, Charriere had bad swelling around his right eye. Hughes went hunting for it with head shots, but wasted no time trying to take the fight back to the ground, too. He spent the majority of the frame controlling from on top, securing another round in his favor.

With the fight seemingly in the bag for Hughes going into the final frame, Charriere showed some desperation in the form of some heavy strikes. He tagged Hughes with some of his best punches of the fight, but the pressure of Hughes caused him some issues until the final belt.

With the win, Hughes claimed interim 145-pound gold and put himself in position for a title unification contest with Jordan Vucenic (8-1).

Complete Cage Warriors 128 results include:

  • Paul Hughe def. Morgan Charriere via majority decision (48-46, 47-47, 49-45) – for interim featherweight title
  • [autotag]Jesse Urholin[/autotag] def. [autotag]Ioannis Palaiologos[/autotag] via TKO (strikes – Round 2, 3:36
  • [autotag]Michele Martignoni[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Adam Amarasinghe[/autotag] ruled a no contest (eye poke) – Round 2, 1:48
  • [autotag]Gerardo Fanny[/autotag] def. [autotag]Liam Gittins[/autotag] via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:32
  • [autotag]James Sheehan[/autotag] def. [autotag]Omeil Brown[/autotag] via split decision (29-28, 29-27, 28-29)
  • [autotag]Aidan James[/autotag] def. [autotag]Philippe Rouch[/autotag] via TKO (elbows) – Round 2, 1:06
  • [autotag]Luke Riley[/autotag] def. [autotag]Kamil Wincenciak[/autotag] via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:39

Morgan Charriere vs. Paul Hughes interim featherweight title fight headlines Cage Warriors 128

An interim Cage Warriors title will be on the line this fall.

An interim Cage Warriors title will be on the line this fall.

With champion Jordan Vucenic still sidelined with an injury, [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] (7-1) will take on former champ [autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag] (16-8-1) for the interim featherweight belt in the Cage Warriors 128 main event, the promotion announced Monday.

Cage Warriors 128 takes place Oct. 1 at York Hall in London. The card streams on UFC Fight Pass and will be the second night of the promotion’s latest “trilogy” series, in which it puts on cards on three straight nights.

“It’s a shame that Jordan Vucenic is still injured, but the division must move forward,” Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan stated. “Hughes vs Charriere will decide our interim champion, which works out perfectly, seeing as both men want to avenge losses to Vucenic in the future.”

The only loss of Hughes’ career came against Vucenic in December 2020 by split decision. Hughes had a perfect 6-0 start to his career with six finishes before the setback at Cage Warriors 119. Vucenic got a title shot against Charriere after the win and took the belt.

“I wasn’t impressed by (Charriere’s) performance against Jordan,” Hughes stated. “I called him boring for a reason. He was stalling a lot, and I wasn’t impressed by him at all. When it comes to our fight, there’ll be no stalling at all. I’ll be putting a pace on him and getting a finish in the fourth or fifth round.”

Charriere stopped Perry Andre Goodwin with a third-round TKO at Cage Warriors 119 to win the vacant featherweight belt. It gave him a three-fight winning streak. But against Vucenic in his first title defense at Cage Warriors 122 in March, he dropped a split call – and the belt along with it.

A rematch between Charriere and Vucenic for Cage Warriors 124 before Vucenic’s injury shut the fight down.

“This fight is the road back to my title,” Charriere stated. “I don’t care about the interim title, the opponent or anything. I’m just focusing on winning and putting on a performance.”