PRINCE AOUNALLAH (FRA) VS. PAUL-EMMANUEL GNAZE (CIV)
FIRST FIGHTS ANNOUNCED FOR REIMS ON 17 JUNE
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HEXAGONE MMA 9 ANNOUNCES
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
PRINCE AOUNALLAH (FRA) VS. PAUL-EMMANUEL GNAZE (CIV)
FIRST FIGHTS ANNOUNCED FOR REIMS ON 17 JUNE
Prince Aounallah pictured at a HEXAGONE MMA press conference in Reims on Monday
As HEXAGONE MMA prepares for its two June events, the first fights have been announced for its 17th June card: HEXAGONE 9 will see the promotion return to Reims Arena, close on the heels of its eighth event on 3rd June at Beziers’ iconic bullfighting ring.
HEXAGONE 9 is to include a world heavyweight title match in “the most explosive category, often provider of the K-O”. Fighting for the belt are France’s Prince Aounallah (16 – 11) and Ivory Coast’s Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze (6 – 2), both victors of their recent bouts at HEXAGONE MMA 7. With a background in Sambo but transitioning early to MMA, Prince Aounallah is considered to be an exciting all-rounder with 10 finishes out of 16 wins to his name, including 7 KOs and 3 submissions. His last victory on HEXAGONE MMA was secured by unanimous decision. Gnaze, in contrast, is primarily an affrontive striker. He has won 5 of his 6 victories in the first round, 4 by TKO and 1, in his last HEXAGONE performance, via Americana submission.
The Reims fight night will also be marked by the return of social media star Matthieu Letho Duclo. Rising to popularity refereeing amateur fights on the YouTube channel IbraTV, the Frenchman has since proven to be formidable himself in the cage. He stands as one of HEXAGONE MMA’s true rising stars, bringing down the house at his last outing. His opponent, Spaniard Geison Santana Moreno, presents a serious challenge as he will be looking to glean his third consecutive victory before the bell.
Continuing to provide a platform for the development of mixed martial arts in the French provinces, HEXAGONE MMA will take advantage of its visit to Reims to highlight local fighters alongside international names. The card will be broadcast across 150 countries on DAZN and on BT Sport in the UK and Ireland. Sofiane Aïssaoui and Alexis Fonte will be among local talent hoping to shine in front of their home crowd.
“We have been keen to put together a very high-level card for our return to Reims,” commented Jérôme Pourrut, co-founder of HEXAGONE MMA. “At our first event at the Reims Arena, everyone was taken aback by the exceptional atmosphere created by the spectators. So we absolutely had to propose something special for this time around. In the coming weeks, the rest of the matches will be unveiled, and the public will not be disappointed!
HEXAGONE MMA will also be announcing the line-ups for HEXAGONE MMA 8 on 3rd June and HEXAGONE MMA 10 on 28 July in the coming weeks, as well as the dates and locations for its international events in the second half of the year.
HEXAGONE MMA: SUMMER DATES – FRANCE
June 3, 2023: HEXAGONE MMA 8 at the Arènes de Béziers
June 17, 2023: HEXAGONE MMA 9 at the Reims Arena
July 28 , 2023: HEXAGONE MMA 10 at the ancient theater of Orange (*UNESCO World Heritage site)
Matthieu Letho Duclo pictured at a HEXAGONE MMA press conference in Reims on Monday
BUY TICKETS FOR HEXAGONE MMA 8, 9 & 10 HERE
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