In an exciting bout at UFC Paris, Kevin Jousset suffered a TKO loss to American Bryan Battle, encountering a setback on his path to the middleweight division’s elite. This was Jousset’s first fight on home soil in France, where he had trained in kickboxing, but he couldn’t withstand Battle’s powerful assault, which ended the fight late in the second round.
The fight was a test of both fighters’ abilities, each having shown promise in their previous UFC careers. Although Battle had more experience in the Octagon, the fight was not expected to be easy for either.
The first round was fairly balanced, with intense exchanges of strikes and grappling. Jousset started strong and excelled in the first five minutes with his striking, while Battle attempted to incorporate wrestling early on. Despite Jousset’s decorated background in judo, Battle managed to score points with some powerful top strikes and knees.
In the second round, Jousset had an impressive start, landing some heavy shots that Battle absorbed well. However, as the round progressed, Jousset slowed down, and Battle began to find openings with his right hand, often finishing his combinations with it.
Ultimately, the accumulation of damage took its toll on Jousset. Once his legs showed signs of wobbling, Battle didn’t let him off the hook and pursued the finish. Although Jousset wasn’t directly knocked down in the final moments, his lack of response to the referee’s commands to fight back prompted the stoppage.
Kevin Jousset suffers a TKO defeat against Brian Battle at UFC Paris! pic.twitter.com/CUZCUPnExF
— mmamag.ma (@jamalsoussi10) September 28, 2024
With this win, Bryan Battle strengthens his position in the middleweight division, while Kevin Jousset will need to reassess his strategy and come back stronger in his future bouts.
