French MMA is a large family that also includes Belgium and Switzerland. Indeed, these two countries have strong French-speaking minorities that are close to the French. In MMA, these Belgian and Swiss minorities are well integrated into the French circuit. Belgium, in particular, has seen several of its fighters become stars in France. French-speaking fighters such as Patrick Habiroba and Movsar Ibragimov are now widely embraced by the French audience. Today, Habiroba fills arenas in France. This closeness is so strong that even Flemish fighters like Losene Keita and Alvi Dasuyev are very well known to the French public.
Moreover, Belgian MMA has exploded in recent years, notably thanks to a golden amateur generation. This generation has turned professional and fought in France, boosting the reputation of Belgian fighters there. Belgium is now very well represented in the UFC with Keita and Bolaji Oki. Behind them, a new wave of fighters is waiting for their chance to reach the top league.
Switzerland, for its part, is more on the sidelines of the French market. Indeed, the country already has quite a few local organizations that allow its fighters to perform at home. Nevertheless, fighters such as Volkan Oezdemir and Robert Valentin are well known to the French public. French-speaking Switzerland seems to be ahead of the German-speaking part of the country in MMA, with the best talents coming from that region.
In this article, we will focus only on French-speaking Belgian and Swiss fighters. Flemish fighters such as Alvi Dasuyev will not be covered for Belgium. For Switzerland, we will not discuss German-speaking fighters such as Kevin Amacher. In addition, the most well-known prospects like Habiroba and Ibragimov will not be discussed.
Kevin Tchoupa 1-0 LHW, Swiss
Kevin Tchoupa is not Switzerland’s biggest talent, but in a division that lacks depth, he is worth mentioning. He first developed his skills on the French amateur circuit. With a short amateur career (3–2), Tchoupa did not stand out, but he did gain valuable experience. In addition to his MMA bouts, he also has experience in pankration.
He made his professional debut in 2025. Facing a weak opponent, he won by TKO in just 45 seconds. Stylistically, Tchoupa is a fairly well-rounded fighter. He has good wrestling, is strong at controlling fights on the ground, and scores effectively with ground-and-pound. On the feet, his striking is decent and is mainly used to set up his wrestling. However, his boxing defense can be improved, and he struggles when opponents pressure him.
Tchoupa will return against a big name from the French amateur circuit, Anthony Nantois. This fight will be his first major test and will help determine his true level.
Lasha Gogishvili 2-1, BW, Belgian
Lasha Gogishvili is an underrated talent in Belgian MMA. He first made a name for himself on the amateur circuit, where he racked up several highlight-reel knockouts, notably by head kick—something relatively rare. His performances in major organizations such as AEC and KOF established him as a closely watched prospect. After six fights and six wins as an amateur, he turned professional at the start of 2025.
What should have been a career-launching fight, however, turned into a nightmare. He faced Sanan Safarli at AEC, an opponent who was supposed to be well within his reach. Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani fighter imposed his wrestling style, and Lasha was unable to counter it, ultimately costing him the fight. The loss was a major setback, and it took him some time to return to the cage.
He made his comeback in October at Striker, fighting at home in Belgium. Standing opposite him was the solid Ibrahima Marna, a tricky opponent for a comeback bout. But Lasha dominated the fight, submitting Marna in three minutes and showing clear improvements in his wrestling. Just one month later, he followed up against another prospect, Amin Jmel. While the fight was expected to be close, Lasha finished Jmel in one minute with a powerful body kick.
That victory confirmed he was truly back and that he must be taken seriously. His striking is a threat to the entire division, and he is solid in wrestling and on the ground. His next fight should be for the Striker title against Alison Silva (3–0)—another major test in which he will need to prove that he is indeed back.
Teo Saldana Smith 5-1, FW, Swiss
Teo Saldana Smith is one of the most promising Swiss prospects. Throughout his career, he has never had an easy fight and has managed to reach a solid level in Europe. After a short amateur career (3–2), he turned professional in 2022. He made his pro debut at YFC, the organization run by French YouTuber Ibra TV. There, he scored the first finish of his career via RNC—the first of a long series. Indeed, Smith has five finishes in five victories.
Thanks to his well-rounded fighting style, he can finish opponents both on the feet and on the ground. Nevertheless, his grappling is his greatest strength, as most of his finishes come from ground sequences. He can submit his opponents or finish them with ground-and-pound. His main weakness is that he sometimes loses dominant positions, but despite that, his ground game is strong. He can also improve his takedown defense.
After this first victory at YFC, he followed up with a win at NFC. His opponent was the German prospect Danial Aghaie (3–0), a test he passed brilliantly. After a third victory, he suffered his first loss against Ivan Sičaja (5–1 at the time of the fight). Sičaja is now the FNC champion, so that loss has aged well.
Smith bounced back quickly with two wins, one at WOW and the other at Oktagon. Smith has fought his entire career abroad against local fighters and still performed well. He has beaten both prospects and veterans (Michael Deiga-Scheck, 11–7). He is now signed with Oktagon, the best organization in Europe. The division is quite deep, and he will have to earn his place to prove he belongs among the European elite. Honestly, I don’t see him becoming a champion or signing with the UFC, but he remains a fun prospect to watch.
Slimen Hassaini 5-0, LW, Belgian
Slimen Hassaini is probably the most underrated Belgian fighter. He is completely unknown to the French-speaking public, likely because he competes in UAE Warriors. His only fight in France, at Hexagone, ended in a positive test. As a result, he can no longer fight in France. This suspension casts a major shadow over his career.
Nevertheless, Slimen Hassaini is a fighter worth following. An excellent grappler, he is constantly attacking with submissions. Heel hooks, armbars, or buggy chokes—his opponents are never safe. He is also a very good scrambler and has strong offensive wrestling. However, it should be noted that he fully accepts going to his back and does not defend takedowns. He has shown little in terms of striking, but he does have some kickboxing experience, which suggests positive potential.
Hassaini has a few wins against solid opponents and has proven that he is one of the best flyweights in UAE Warriors Arabia. Now, the hope is that he can rise within the organization. To do so, he will need to adopt a style better suited to MMA and stop allowing himself to be taken down so easily. His pure grappler style will not work at a high level.
Slimen Hassaini is a promising fighter and one to watch closely in the future, especially given the progress he can still make.
Alan Ciku 3-0, LW, Belgian
Belgium is today one of the strongholds of European BJJ. Alan Ciku was, for a long time, one of the country’s top representatives in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It was on the European circuit that he made his mark, winning numerous medals. He was also the 2017 World Newaza vice-champion. Ciku is therefore a true black belt with enormous experience in BJJ.
After this very successful BJJ career, he decided to transition to MMA. He joined the Valon Team, the team of UFC fighter Bolaji Oki. In 2023, he made his professional MMA debut without going through the amateur ranks, winning the fight after his opponent was injured. He followed this up with two more victories, both by submission, in 2023 and 2025.
Unsurprisingly, Ciku has a very high level on the ground. He is dangerous in all positions, able to attack or reverse situations at any moment. His wrestling is solid and allows him to take the fight to the ground. The Valon Team is known for its striking, and it is clear that Ciku has worked a lot in this area. He has shown good things there, although he can still improve, especially defensively.
Ciku signed with ARES in 2025, but there has been no news of him since that signing. At 31 years old, time is running out for him, especially if he is aiming for the top. Ciku is clearly a danger in the ARES lightweight division, and hopefully we will see him competing there soon.