“The Last Pirate” has officially arrived in the UFC – and in style.
Morgan Charriere nearly blew the roof off Accor Arena at UFC Fight Night 226 in Paris when he dug his toes into the midsection of Manolo Zecchini and followed it up with another massive body kick. The sequence earned Charriere (19-9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) his first UFC win when the referee saved Zecchini (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at 3:51 of Round 1.
The victory was Charriere’s first since he signed with the promotion in August. Charriere entered as a former Cage Warriors lightweight champion who accumulated a massive national following for his success in the YouTube and gaming social media communities. The win marked his fourth straight.
On the flip side, Italy’s Zecchini had a two-fight winning streak snapped. The bout Saturday was also his UFC debut.
NASTY KICKS FROM MORGAN CHARRIERE 😮💨 #UFCParis pic.twitter.com/hXpr82tLJM
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 2, 2023
Morgan Charriere gets the finish, and the crowd goes wild! 🗣️🙌🗣️🙌🗣️ #UFCParis
(🎥 @Farah_Hannoun) pic.twitter.com/rDEBhMTblN
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 2, 2023
The up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 226 results include:
- Morgan Charriere def. Manolo Zecchini via TKO (body kicks) – Round 1, 3:51
- Taylor Lapilus def. Caolan Loughran via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ange Loosa def. Rhys McKee via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Nora Cornolle def. Joselyne Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Farid Basharat def. Kleydson Rodrigues via submission (arm triangle) – Round 1, 4:15
- Jacqueline Cavalcanti def. Zarah Fairn via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-37, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 226.
