Close Menu
The Stadium BusinessThe Stadium Business
  • News
  • Projects
  • Operations
  • Business
  • Job Listings
    • Job Dashboard
  • Insights
  • Meetings
    • The Stadium Business Summit
    • Design & Development Summit
    • The Stadium Business Asia
    • The Ticketing Business Forum
    • The Ticketing Business Asia
  • Regions
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
LATEST:
  • Missouri counters Kansas’ play for Chiefs, Royals
  • Hollywood Park Studios to serve LA28
  • Anderlecht assessing new stadium
  • Oxford United secures extended stay at Kassam Stadium
  • Live Nation partners up with Atlanta’s Centennial Yards
  • Denver green lights investment in NWSL stadium project
YouTube LinkedIn Flickr
Register for #SBS25
The Stadium BusinessThe Stadium Business
  • News
  • Projects
  • Operations
  • Business
  • Job Listings
    • Job Dashboard
  • Insights
  • Meetings
    • The Stadium Business Summit
    • Design & Development Summit
    • The Stadium Business Asia
    • The Ticketing Business Forum
    • The Ticketing Business Asia
  • Regions
Subscribe
The Stadium BusinessThe Stadium Business
Home»Features»UFC to make French bow at Accor Arena

UFC to make French bow at Accor Arena

Rob RidleyBy Rob Ridley20th May 20223 Mins Read Features Industry News 215 Views
Share
Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Email WhatsApp Copy Link

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced its debut in France, with Accor Arena to host an event in Paris on September 3.

The announcement marks a breakthrough for the UFC in a key market, with France having only recently opened up to mixed martial arts following years of banning the practice of MMA.

UFC’s debut in France marks the culmination of a decade-long effort by the promotion to obtain official recognition of MMA by French authorities and to integrate it into the broader French sports ecosystem.

Following formal recognition of MMA by the French Ministry of Sport in early 2020, the French Broadcast Authority (ARCOM) authorised the broadcast of MMA events in France and the National Gaming Authority (ANJ) began allowing betting operators in France to offer wagering on UFC bouts.

The first professional MMA fights were held in France later in 2020, with the broadcasting of the discipline having previously been banned since December 2005. Following the Accor Arena event announcement, the UFC said it will continue to work closely in the coming months with the French Boxing Federation and the French Mixed Martial Arts Federation to promote the positive impact of MMA as a sport.

Tickets for September’s maiden event will go on general sale on June 24, with the UFC touting “exponential” growth in popularity in France in recent years, despite never holding an event in market. There are an estimated 3.8 million UFC fans in France, and it remains the second largest country in Europe on UFC social media platforms.

Commenting on why the UFC has waited while rival promotion Bellator has already held two events in France, UFC chief operating officer, Lawrence Epstein, told French newspaper L’Équipe: “Our goal has never been to come first. But rather to be the first to offer the best show.

“We are incredibly excited to present our first event in Paris after all the efforts we have made, for more than 10 years, for MMA to be recognised around the world, particularly in France, with the Ministry of Sports, so that it can be broadcast on French TV channels, so that betting is allowed on UFC events. It has been a long journey to come to France, it has taken a lot of effort.”

Regarding the UFC’s long-term plans for the French market, Epstein added: “It’s absolutely a big potential market. We know there is a very large fan base in France. There is a real MMA culture, despite the long ban.

“France is also a kind of brand in itself, known all over the world, being present there is necessarily beneficial for us. And our long-term plan is to be present there on a regular basis, and probably on a multi-annual basis.

“We are convinced that organising several events, in different cities, Paris and Marseille in particular, can be a real springboard for our development. We would love to have a recurring date giving us the opportunity to travel to France. Early September seems to us to be an interesting date.”

Image: Accor Arena

Accor Arena Events France MMA UFC
Follow on Google News Follow on RSS
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email WhatsApp Copy Link
Previous ArticleFinn Harps amend plans for new stadium amid cost worries
Next Article Melbourne replaces Kazan as host of FINA World Swimming Championships (25m)
Rob Ridley

Related Posts

EMEA

Cape Town to host PFL’s first event in Africa

8th May 2025188 Views
Features

Designing a ‘seamless guest journey that drives fan re-engagement’ – AECOM’s Andrea Patry

28th April 20251,129 Views
Features

Putting women’s sport at the heart of BC Place’s events strategy

15th April 2025295 Views

Get this News delivered to your inbox

Top Posts

Missouri counters Kansas’ play for Chiefs, Royals

14th May 20253 Mins Read

Hollywood Park Studios to serve LA28

14th May 20254 Mins Read
YouTube LinkedIn Flickr
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Job Listings
  • Contact Us
Copyright © 2025 Xperiology. All rights reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

X We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However you may visit Settings to provide a controlled consent.
Read More Settings ACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
__cf_bm30 minutesThis cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management.
__lc_cid2 yearsThis is an essential cookie for the website live chat box to function properly.
__lc_cst2 yearsThis cookie is used for the website live chat box to function properly.
__oauth_redirect_detectorpastThis cookie is used to recognize the visitors using live chat at different times inorder to optimize the chat-box functionality.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
last_pys_landing_page7 daysAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
last_pysTrafficSource7 daysAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
pys_first_visit7 daysAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
pys_landing_page7 daysAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
pys_session_limit1 hourAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
pys_start_sessionsessionAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
pysTrafficSource7 daysAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
vuid2 yearsVimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos to the website.
advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
Save & Accept