UFC Paris has arrived at its lightweight co-main event, as Ziam
(18-5, 8-3 UFC) battles Sola (12-1-1, 2-1 UFC) across three rounds
at 155 pounds. Dean serves as the third man in the cage. Away they
go. Inside leg kick from Ziam, who follows it with another. Ziam
lands a body kick. Sola sneaks in a right hook against his French
compatriot. He counters a body kick with a clubbing right hand.
Sola meets Ziam with a brutal overhand left and freezes him on
contact. An unconscious Ziam crashes to the canvas, where he
absorbs a few more punches before Dean can arrive on the
scene
.
The Official Result
Axel Sola def. Fares Ziam—KO (Punch) 1:40 R1

Oh, how the turn tables. Bonfim (20-6, 2-3 UFC) and his brother
were the talk of the town off of their shared episode of DWCS in
2022. Now, this Bonfim has dropped three of four, all by stoppage,
and Boxing Squad’s Sola (11-1-1, 1-1 UFC) is up next to see if he
can rearrange the Brazilian’s face. Referee Marc Goddard clocks in
the lightweights as they share a swift clap of hands.
Sola is quick to get behind a jab, claiming the center of the cage
and pushing forward. The smaller Bonfim kicks him in the knee, and
Sola responds with a body kick that lands with an audible thud.
Bonfim reaches with a left hand and is just out of range, and he
catches a body kick and throws the Frenchman to his seat against
the fence. Sola wall-walks, and Bonfim is all-in for a single. Sola
elbows him in the side of the head while defending the takedown and
keeping his balance, and he starts to put some mustard into the
elbows. A number land at the top of the head on the mohawk line,
and Goddard shouts him down to knock it off. Goddard asks for more
activity from Bonfim, as Sola is the only one doing something as he
pounds on the Brazilian. Bonfim stays in on the single, and Sola
hammerfists away. His efforts have cut Bonfim, whose face starts
leaking on the mat.
As Sola keeps driving home his elbow on the temple, Bonfim’s will
fades and he slumps over. Sola uses this to drop down and fasten an
anaconda choke, keeping Bonfim down to bash him with right hands
when the choke dissipates. Bonfim sways and stays desperately
pursuing that single, and Sola strikes him in the back of the head
a few times. Bonfim rolls over to his back and takes a few elbows
to set up an armbar.
Sola punches his way through it, and he threatens with a brabo
choke as Bonfim rolls to his side. This is the worst place for the
Brazilian, as Sola turns along with him to completely lock this
choke down. Sola’s arm beneath the chin, hooking it beneath the
far-side armpit, allows him to exert heavy shoulder pressure to
force Bonfim to surrender.
Bonfim taps, Sola releases
the grip, and Bonfim looks genuinely surprised that he was snared
in this type of submission? Meanwhile, Sola, who earned just his
second submission as a pro, looks as if he knew he was going to
pull that off the whole time.
The Official Result
Axel Sola def. Ismael Bonfim R1 4:44 via Submission (Brabo
Choke)

Marc Goddard is the referee. Jones steps in with a right early.
Jones with an inside leg kick. Another right for Jones. Jones is
the agressor early, pressure Sola with punches. Sola is doing his
best to counter. A heavy inside leg kick lands for Jones. Jones
kicks the leg and then follows with a body-head punching
combination. A spinning back elbow by Sola catches Jones and drops
the Cage Warriors vet. Jones pops up and Sola looks for a takedown
against the cage. Sola pulls Jones off the fence and gets him down.
Sola works to the back but Jones stands. Jones breaks the grip and
escapes. A counter left lands for Sola and he marches forward,
pouring on punches and pressure. Sola lands a knee to the head in
the clinch. Jones is wearing some damage, but he puts the heat on
Sola, tagging him with punches and opening up a cut. Sola stops the
momentum with a takedown, landing in side control. Jones explodes
up, but Sola has a rear body lock. The round ends there. Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sola
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sola
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sola

Sola with a body kick. Jones with another hard inside leg kick.
Jones tries a leaping, spinning attack, but it doesn’t amount to
much. Sola has a high kick blocked. Jones forces the clinch, but
Sola shoves him into the fence. Jones shoves his foe away. Jones
pressures, and he is advancing, trying to string together offense.
Jones moves in and lands a knee to the head. Sola sticks a jab.
Mason continues to dictate the exchanges, landing another knee in
close. Jones goes upstairs wiht a head kick, then he sticks a jab.
A 1-2 connects for Sola, but Jones answers with a flurry
immediately. Sola steps in with a knee to the body. Jones counters
with punches over the top. Sola mixes up punches to the body and
head before forcing the clinch. Sola lands a nice combo, but Jones
counters with a right. Sola leaps in with a knee and puts on
pressure. Jones tries a spinning elbow but it doesn’t land clean.
Sola tries a spinning elbow but Jones ducks under it. Jones lands a
couple jabs then ducks under a spinning attack. Jones pressures
right until the horn. Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Jones
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jones
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jones

Sola has a nasty wound under his right eye. Jones wobbles Sola
right away with a head kick. Sola fights back, launching a spinning
back elbow. He urgers Jones onward, and the action continues. they
tie up in the center of the cage and Sola executes a throw. Jones
quickly gets to his feet and lands a knee. Jones leaps in with a
jab. Sola lands a left to the body. Sola lands but eats a knee in
close. Sola stops Jones’ movement with a jab. Jones kicks the body.
An overhand from Jones makes Sola stumble. Jones moves in and lands
a pair of knees to the body. Jones just misses a clean head kick.
Sola moves forward and lands multiple punches. They clinch and this
time it’s Sola landing knees. Neither man wants to give up an inch
in this wild round. A left lands for Sola. Sola shoots, and Jones
defends well. He punishes Sola with a body kick when he stands.
They trade in the pocket and Jones finishes with a knee. Sola
answers with a left hook. Jones wades forward with a combination.
Jones is landing often, but Sola is still managing to fire back.
Less than a minute to go, and they’re trading blows with malicious
intent. Jones finishes a combo with a knee. Sola shoots with 30
seconds to go. Jones escapes and goes on the offensive. Sola stands
and Jones unloads with a violent flurry of knees against the fence
until the horn. Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Jones (29-28 Jones)
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jones (29-28 Jones)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jones (29-28 Jones)
The Official Result
Mason Jones def. Axel Sola via Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3
5:00

In April, Ireland’s McKee (14-6-1, 1-4 UFC) did the darn thing by
finally getting his hand raised in the Octagon in his fifth try.
With a 100% still intact, McKee forced the doctors to rescue Daniel
Frunza in April to officially stamp himself as a victor inside the
UFC. He will welcome undefeated Frenchman Sola (10-0-1, 0-0 UFC) to
the promotion, and it is no doubt which side the fans are taking.
Referee Herb Dean hears their songs and cheers and takes it all in,
and the welterweights wade towards one another. Without touching gloves, the two prefer to instead trade jabs
initially. McKee follows one with an overhand right, and they
proceed to aim single distant strikes at one another without
connecting much. Sola steps in and walks into a left hand, and he
counters with a left hand. Another big left from Sola produces a
shiner on McKee’s right eye, and as the commentary booth starts
comparing Sola to an early Conor McGregor, McKee blasts Sola with a
pair of heavy punches. Sola returns fire, rushing at his opponent
and marking up McKee’s face. The left hand from Sola keeps finding
its target, but McKee is unafraid and knees Sola square in the
face. The Irishman misses with a left hand, opening him up to a
takedown from the debuting French fighter. With McKee leaning against the fencing, Sola drives knees to the
calf. Fans rise and lower their voices in anticipation of the
strikes like a muay thai crowd, but Sola is more interested in a
takedown from behind rather than knee blows. Sola looks to jump on
the back while standing, and McKee sheds him off and drills him
with a few back elbows. Sola attempts to drag McKee out from
behind, and McKee is only able to smack his foe with no-look elbows
or bizarre punches from under his opposite armpit. Sola stays
tightly pressed on his opponent who spins for a strike, and
something from him appears to bust McKee’s nose open. McKee is the
aggressor as Sola retreats, with the Frenchman possibly stung from
a sneaky shot from “Skeletor.” The round ends. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sola Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Sola Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Sola

McKee immediately takes the center of the cage to get going, only
to be driven back by Sola jabs. McKee goes to the body with a right
hand, and Sola is quick to counter over the top. Sola intercepts
his opponent with a knee, and McKee bites down on his mouthpiece
looping two hooks. The right hand from McKee appears to hurt Sola’s
eye, who is wiping at it. This encourages McKee, who gets off some
more strikes to the face of his adversary. Sola drills the Irish
fighter to the midsection with a left, and then aims one more to
the same spot after resetting. Sola clubs McKee with a hefty right
hand on the temple, and McKee is tough as a two-dollar steak and
stays in Sola’s face putting up some moderate volume. They both
land cleanly with straight punches, and Sola follows with a right
hook. The two continue to trade fists, with the two seeming to take turns
one after the other. Sola drives home a left hand down that causes
more blood to flow from “Skeletor,” and he pursues a takedown
rather than furthering his handiwork on the feet. McKee puts his
back to the fence, sprawling and briefly threatening with a
standing guillotine choke. Sola shakes out of it and racks McKee up
with a crisp elbow. McKee does not flinch, and instead plods
forward throwing bombs. Sola meets him with a left to the liver,
only to get caught with an uppercut. Sola wraps up a sneaky
standing arm-triangle choke that he uses to throw McKee to the
floor, and McKee stands back up and thinks about a front choke.
Sola goes after a single, and when it does not land, he smacks
McKee with a back elbow or two before the round concludes. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sola Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Sola Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Sola

McKee once again puts himself in the driver’s seat as he advances
out of his corner hellbent for leather. McKee walks into a right
hand that opens a cut on the corner of his eye, but he still nails
the French fighter with two punches to back him away. McKee chains
an uppercut into two massive, inaccurate hooks, and he fires off
another uppercut that glances off the side of the dome. When McKee
lands, Sola gives him two back to think about. Without fear of
reprisal, Sola kicks McKee in the head. McKee tanks it like a champ
and just misses on a slashing elbow. A left to the solar plexus is
followed by a body kick from Sola, and his body work is starting to
pay off in a big way. The Frenchman slips a jab and jackhammers his left fist directly
into the sternum, and McKee goes down in a heap. Dean rushes in to
get involved while Sola rains down hammerfists, and McKee is
furious that he stepped in as he was just moving to recover and
stand back up. That makes two questionable stoppages
tonight, but the questions matter not as the official result is
what it is. The fans in the building do not appear concerned about
the timing of the ref intervention, as their athlete won and still
remains undefeated in his promotional debut.

Axel Sola

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