The Franco-Cameroonian Cédric Doumbè fell against his compatriot Baysangur “Baki” Chamsoudinov following the referee’s stoppage during the PFL Europe organized at the Accor Arena in Paris on Thursday March 7. This controversial decision during the most anticipated fight of the evening concluded an unconvincing event from the American MMA organization.
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From our special correspondent at the Accor Arena,
The first evening of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) at the Accor Arena in Paris proved to be quite tricky. It must be said that the challenge was significant for the second American mixed martial arts organization, the main competitor of the UFC, which took over the famous Parisian hall for the first time and hoped to imitate the resounding success of its rival during its second evening organized on French soil last September.
To achieve this, the PFL had seen the big picture by organizing its main eventthe highlight of the evening, between two French fighters of choice: the Franco-Cameroonian Cédric Doumbè, kickboxing legend who continues to rise in the world of MMA, and Baysangur Chamsoudinov known as “Baki”, tricolor nugget of the discipline at only 22 years old. Proof of the enormous anticipation that this fight crystallized, Doumbè became the most followed French MMA fighter on social networks, just ahead of Ciryl Gane, and even before entering the cage.
The PFL made no secret of it: its success on March 7 at the Accor Arena depended almost exclusively on this final shock. And the spectators in the room even fewer, present in numbers to throw “ You are dead ! » from the stands, the gimmick popularized by Cédric Doumbè during his previous fight. The PFL speakers did not hesitate to rekindle an impatient audience during the evening, encouraging them to use the expression to raise the temperature.
The Doumbè-Baki fight stopped by the referee
Several French fighters fought during the evening, but no confrontation really succeeded in convincing the public at the Accor Arena. Yazid Chouchane, although well launched in his fight, lost by KO against the Spaniard Ignacio Capella while Ibrahima Mané won against the Dutchman Chequina Noso Pedro by split decision. “ I usually offer more than that, I’m sorry for my performance tonight. I’ll make up for it next time, you’ll see », admitted the Frenchman after his victory.
The Franco-Russian Abdoul Abdouraguimov also emerged victorious from his fight against the Englishman Jack Grant, indestructible and who resisted several submission attempts. After his victory, Abdouraguimov encouraged the audience to shout “ Cedric, you’re dead! » to balance the debates, new proof that all eyes were on the native of Douala, known for his mastery of trashtalking and his often striking entries into the cage, and his duel with Baki.
But of all the possible conclusions to the most anticipated Franco-French fight in MMA history, no one could have imagined such a disappointing ending between the two fighters. While Baki showed himself to be impervious to pressure and very impressive during a first round largely in his favor, Doumbè then won the second round by hitting the mark thanks to his knowledge of striking. Everything had to be decided during the last round, which promised crazy intensity and a grand finale.
But very quickly, Doumbè reported discomfort in his foot, even speaking to his opponent in the middle of the fight to ask for a break in order to remove a splinter embedded in his toe. A request refused by the referee who quickly ended the fight, considering the Franco-Cameroonian incapable of continuing the confrontation. Left hungry and in total incomprehension, the spectators were immediately virulent towards the officials present in the cage.
“ I had seen decisions like this before in MMA, and I hoped it would never happen to me. I was jealous of the French people who participated in UFC Paris and fighting here in Bercy was a dream, so obviously, I am very disappointed », Regretted Doumbè at a press conference, evoking a possible revenge in the future. “ Unforeseen events are part of the fight, you must be able to fight in any condition “, Baki said shortly after. One thing is certain: the PFL evening had difficulty convincing and such a conclusion is quite a thorn in the side for the American organization, which will now have to redouble its efforts to succeed in competing with the UFC.