Yanis Ghemmouri

Yanis Ghemmouri vs. William Gomis
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Gomis (-220) vs. Ghemmouri (+180)

Round 1
It’s France-on-France violence as the main card carries on, with the second of two matchups totally flipped on its head thanks to a few fighter withdrawals. Instead of Gomis (12-2, 2-0 UFC) vs. Lucas Almeida at 145 pounds and Ghemmouri (12-1, 0-0 UFC) taking on Loughran at bantamweight, Gomis and Ghemmouri square off. While he had to come in 10 pounds heavier than expected, Ghemmouri seems otherwise prepped and ready to make his promotional debut, but he is not favored to get his hand raised. Odds do not make fights, and referee Loic Pora knows that more than most people. The rebooked countrymen sportingly bump their fists together, and Gomis hand-fights early to not let Ghemmouri get his range. With Ghemmouri in orthodox and Gomis fighting southpaw, it allows Gomis to let loose with body kicks to the liver. He does just that, and Ghemmouri responds with multiple leg kicks on the outside. Gomis paws out a left hand, and he eats another chopping kick to the knee. The two trade kicks, one after the other. Gomis tries to double up on his strikes to outpace his foe, and the second gets caught. Ghemmouri just misses with a high kick, and Gomis springs out of the way to dodge one to the midsection. Gomis pokes out a few jabs and sticks a kick to the side, and the pace is largely in this kick-for-kick approach. Both men test one another with these kicks, and Gomis stomps down on the knee when he attacks a few times. Ghemmouri has a head kick blocked, and he avoids a spinning back kick with ease. Ghemmouri keeps his hands high to guard against a sudden high kick, and Gomis stands in front of him with his hands down. Gomis stomps the knee effectively, hyperextending the joint of Ghemmouri momentarily. Ghemmouri misses the mark with a head kick, and he shrugs at Gomis when Gomis continues chewing up his leg. When Ghemmouri goes high with his shin, Gomis intercepts him with a right hand. Ghemmouri tries to catch a kick, and it bounces up and into his cup. Pora offers the fouled fighter time to recover, but Ghemmouri tells him he is good to go. Gomis snaps into action with several punches and a kick, and he races back to block the coming strikes as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gomis
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gomis
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gomis

Round 2
The second round begins right where the two left off, smacking one another with kicks in alternating fashion. Gomis looks to push the pace earlier, and he outvolumes Ghemmouri in the early going but is still absorbing plenty that come back at him. Ghemmouri is inaccurate with a hook kick, and Gomis blitzes him with a solid right hand. Ghemmouri walks into a head kick, and he tries to clinch up only to get cracked with an elbow. Gomis leaps forward with a punch, and Ghemmouri snatches up his leg and goes after a single. “The Jaguar” jumps back to the wall, and he sets up a standing guillotine choke and keeps it tight. Gomis turns the choke into a power guillotine, and he jams Ghemmouri down to the floor. Ghemmouri appears to tap out once on Gomis’ hip, but Pora is on the other side and does not see it. Ghemmouri powers his way back up, his neck still in danger, and Gomis is hanging tight with it. Gomis presses hard in the posture until Ghemmouri pulls his neck out and turns the MMA Factory fighter around. Ghemmouri settles down, pressing Gomis against the cage, and thumping him with shoulder strikes and a solid knee to the body. Ghemmouri knees the body and they split apart, where they proceed to jab at one another using their feet. Gomis stays active with a low kick and one upside the face, and Ghemmouri wags his finger at him. Ghemmouri hops forward into a kick on the thigh, and Gomis replies with two right back. Gomis tries to swarm ahead with two looping punches, and he has a jumping switch kick bounce off the guard. Gomis spins with a back kick to the ribs, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gomis
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gomis
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gomis

Round 3
The Frenchmen high-five and then hug, and the crowd gives it up to them after a spirited 10 minutes of combat. Gomis leads off with a few stomping kicks to the knee, and Ghemmouri looks to catch a leg kick and go after a takedown. Although he cannot snag hold of a limb, he does rumble forward into a clinch that pushes Gomis to the wire. Gomis answers him with a sudden high knee, and Pora promptly tells them to do more. Gomis gets free first, and he blocks a big head kick. Gomis turns his hips into a leg kick, and Ghemmouri does not like this one and he switches stances briefly. Ghemmouri races forward in pursuit of a single, and he lifts Gomis’ right leg up and jams him against the fence. Pora asks for more action, and Gomis splits off again and lets loose two kicks to the body.
The second kick skims up and brushes the cup as it strikes on the belt line, lifting Ghemmouri off the ground, and Ghemmouri groans and bends over in pain. Pora shouts to Ghemmouri that it was a legal strike and that he needs to keep fighting. Ghemmouri protests that the kick landed on his groin, and Pora waves the fight off to declare it a knockout instead calling time for an illegal strike.
Ghemmouri is beside himself, upset and confused and angry that he has now officially suffered the first knockout loss of his career under controversial circumstances. The replay booth reviews the footage and upholds Pora’s ruling that the kick was legal, and the fight result stands for the time being.

The Official Result
William Gomis def. Yanis Ghemmouri R3 2:20 via TKO (Body Kick)