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This content was machine-translated from the French version.
The pieces of the UFC Paris puzzle are falling into place. With a month and a half to go until the fifth French edition of the major league, scheduled for 5 September at the Accor Arena, the third French fighter signed by the organisation in 2026 has finally been handed his first opponent. Matthieu Letho Duclos, 31, will face Brazilian Luis Felipe Dias in the under-84-kilo division. It’s a baptism of fire that offers no easy ride for the Saint-Brieuc native, who has never fought a single bout under the UFC banner prior to this date.
A track record that speaks for itself
Having competed in Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024, he was knocked out by TKO — a setback that could have ended many a career.
Letho Duclos (10-3) is no stranger to French MMA fans. Having competed in Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024, he was knocked out by TKO — a setback that could have ended many a career. But the Breton did what true competitors do: he went back to work. He headed to Hexagone MMA, where he won the middleweight title before successfully defending it twice. Four consecutive victories, three of them by stoppage, reopened the doors to the UFC for him last June, following another successful stint on the DWCS.
“It’s a milestone, but I didn’t sign up just to make up the numbers,” he told Gongcast. The message is clear: the Saint-Brieuc native wants to prove he belongs among the elite, and not just serve as a sparring partner for established stars.
Luis Felipe Dias, the threat from SĂŁo Paulo
Opposite him, the challenge is a formidable one. Luis Felipe Dias (17-5) is the same age as Letho Duclos (31) but lacks his pedigree. The Brazilian has secured 16 of his 17 victories before the final bell: eight by submission, eight by KO/TKO. A dizzying 94 per cent finish rate that forces his opponent to remain vigilant at every moment of the fight.
After signing with the DWCS last October — with a rear-naked choke in the second round — Dias made a successful debut in the big league in May at UFC Macau. The result: a first-round KO. Since then, he has racked up three consecutive victories and will head to Paris brimming with well-deserved confidence. His aggressive style, focused on submissions and ground-and-pound, will pose challenges that the Frenchman has never had to face at this level: managing distance, reading transitions on the ground, and the ability to escape from a compromised position.
A card taking shape
The Letho Duclos v Dias bout joins an already promising line-up. Oumar Sy, last season’s French revelation, is set to face an opponent yet to be confirmed. Michael Venom Page, another French-speaking headliner, is also set to defend his place in the under-77-kilo rankings. The UFC Paris 2026 card is starting to look like the event that the French MMA scene has been waiting for since Accor Arena 2024, and on 5 September, Letho Duclos will be one of its first highlights. For the league, the stakes go beyond individual cases: it is about continuing to prove that France remains, in 2026, a strategic territory for the major American league, and that French fighters can perform at the very highest level there. Meanwhile, the Breton fighter’s camp is already gearing up for the event with a training camp video circulating on social media, and tickets for the Accor Arena are already set to sell out several weeks in advance.
