After just a few hours, the UFC Paris fight card is back to 13 bouts.
Earlier on Monday, France’s Fares Ziam announced that he was withdrawing from his Lightweight contest versus Kaue Fernandes, a booking that was scheduled to take place Saturday night (Sept. 6, 2025) from inside Accor Arena in Paris, France. It was initially uncertain whether or not Fernandes would remain on the card, stick around as a back up, or be rebooked at a later date.
Per a report from Al Zullino and since confirmed to MMAmania.com, Cage Warriors Featherweight kingpin Harry Hardwick will swoop in to save the match up and face off against Fernandes. Hardwick (13-3-1) is an aggressive striker who has defended his 145-pound title twice. He’ll be fighting up a weight class here, but on short-notice, that’ll be helpful in hitting the 155-pound mark.
Hardwick, age 30, is certainly a deserving pick up given that he hasn’t lost since 2020 and has beaten some solid competition, but up a weight class on short-notice is a tall task. Anyone siding with the English newcomer for the upset?
For the complete UFC Paris fight card, click here.