One of the biggest stars in the UFC, Francis Ngannou, has strong connections to both France and Africa. As does his coach, Fernand Lopez, who – with the upcoming legalization of MMA in France – is looking to expose the sport to a larger audience in those regions. He is aiming to help produce the next crop of talent who could follow in the footsteps of Israel Adesanya, Kamaru Usman and Frances Ngannou to make a huge mark on the MMA world.
Lopez, head coach at the MMA Factory in France, will be the matchmaker and sport strategist for newly-formed promotion, ARES FC.