Top 5 French MMA Fighters Other Than UFC Paris Star Nassourdine Imavov

UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs. Borralho, AKA UFC Fight Night 258, will see Nassourdine Imavov in a proper skills test that could all but be a 185-pound title eliminator. If he becomes a top contender and snatches undisputed gold, ‘Sniper’ could etch himself as an all-time MMA/UFC great. Here are the Top 5 French MMA fighters who have already made it big in the fight clique over the years.

Until 2020, the sport was banned in France. The ruling was that open striking was illegal, and a traditional ring was preferable. However, big stars have had their success in combat sports. Nassourdine Imavov, who moved to the country when he was 9, is obviously one. Here’s a look at the other top 5 names.

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#5 Benoit Saint-Denis

For the better part of half a decade, Benoit Saint-Denis has been a pure berserker and entertaining fighter. While slumping in his debut, ‘God of War’ went on a 5-0 UFC winning streak in the promotion after he transitioned from Brave CF. There’s some prime debate about putting recent No.1-ranked middleweight Nassourdine Imavov above him, but the 29-year-old has made his case.

An ex-1st RPIMa (French spec ops) operator, he was part of the 1st Marine Infantry Paratroopers Regiment ( RPIMa ). Akin to guts and glory, and fighting, he spent time deployed in the western parts of Africa and even wartime Mali. BSD, as he is known, is a southpaw adjusting pro-grappler, range-fighter, a Judoka, and BJJ black belt. It helps him fight apt and explosive in multiple angles and has resulted in many finishes.

This included Thiago Moises as well as a first-round KO of veteran Matt Frevola on Veteran’s Day. French star Saint-Denis also faced Dustin Poirier in a hard brawl at the UFC 299: O’Malley vs. Vera 2 PPV lineup and had quite the initial success. As of July 29, 2025, the Team CYFIT MMA sensation and UFC lightweight is ranked #13 on the athletes’ listings.

# Francis Carmont

While he never realized championship glory, Francis ‘Limitless’ Carmont was true to his moniker and set the hallmark of French MMA. Before signing on with the UFC in 2011, he amassed a pro record of 16-7, debuting with a win over Chris Camozzi at UFC 137.

He went on a 6-fight streak with his signature rear-naked finishers to climb the LHW pecking order. A 0-3 peat saw him move on to Bellator MMA, where he also found mild success before deciding not to lace up anymore.

#3 Manon Fiorot

She has a long way to go and hasn’t pioneered some ground-breaking records to be on a list of the Top 5 French MMA fighters. But Manon Fiorot makes the case as a pure brawler and recent title challenger, maybe better than any.

After dropping her first MMA bout, the French WMMA flyweight had a dominant five-year spell, winning 12 in a row and rising as a top echelon fighter. Fiorot’s seven-fight UFC winning streak was the highest before a failed title bid against Valentina Shevchenko.

Her 6-0 (T)KO stat consisted of EFC and 3 finishes at UAE Warriors. She then transitioned to UFC with two finishes and 5 unanimous decisions. Fiorot’s defensive karate, kickboxing, and Muay Thai background make her a stiff test for many.

With an impressive reach, she often dabbles in controlled striking throughout and dominates on judges’ cards, rather than having a few dominant finishes. With her sole loss coming to the champ herself, she ranks #4 in the Women’s Pound-for-Pound Rankings 2025.

#2 Ciryl Gane

In 2021, Ciryl Gane made history by becoming the first French UFC champion. Even though it was the interim belt, not the undisputed strap, Gane makes his case as one of the Top 5 French MMA fighters. Gane stopped Derrick Lewis in their UFC 265 bout, the referee stepping in to stop his punches and awarding the Frenchman a third-round TKO (4:11 mark) win.

After the interim UFC Heavyweight belt stint came two bouts going the wrong way against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones. But those were the lineal UFC HW and the man who replaced him; that should tell all there is to know about Gane and his skill ceiling. ‘Bon Gamin’ is on a 2-fight streak and has slowly rebounded to be the current #1-ranked Heavyweight.

#1 Cheick Kongo

Although he didn’t begin his pro MMA tenure until age 26, Cheick Kongo became a prominent figure in the sport and a legend among French MMA practitioners. Which is what made the feat even more impressive than the others.

The six-foot-four-inch HW was a pure Greco-Roman wrestle-heavy savant, excelling in kendo, karate, boxing, Muay Thai. He learned Pencak Silat ( Pencak Silat PSHT Europe) and transitioned to Shootfighting through the MMA legend Bas Rutten.

One of his biggest wins came against the legendary Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović at UFC 75. While Cro Cop jumped a lean and exploded to outwrestle Kongo, the Frenchman created space and distanced with a brutal axe kick to Cro Cop’s body. He defied much of it en route to a magnanimous decision victory. Out of 21 wins, 12 came by way of a knockout; the French mixed martial artist has fought in Bellator as well.