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ARES FC 43 Preview & Full Fight Card: O’Connor vs Diatta Title Unification, Alexis Nicolas Returns

ARES FC 43 Preview & Full Fight Card: O’Connor vs Diatta Title Unification, Alexis Nicolas Returns

Two featherweight champions will enter the cage at ARES FC 43. Only one will leave with the undisputed title.

Undefeated champion Josh O'Connor returns after more than 15 months away to face interim titleholder Fabacary Diatta on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the Adidas Arena in Paris. It is the first time the two have met, and the result will settle a championship situation that developed while O'Connor was sidelined by injury.

The nine-fight ARES Fighting Championship card also features the second professional MMA appearance of former ONE Championship kickboxing titleholder Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas, an intriguing flyweight contest between Akhmed Amaev and former Cage Warriors champion Luke Shanks, and the return of heavyweight prospect Brad Jean-Elie.

ARES 43 begins with the preliminary card at 7:30 p.m. local time in Paris, followed by the five-fight main card at 9:30 p.m. The event will be broadcast through Canal+ in France.

Josh O'Connor vs Fabacary Diatta: ARES featherweight title unification

Josh O'Connor vs. Fabacary Diatta is a genuine championship unification fight, not simply another title defense for the returning champion.

O'Connor enters at 10-0. The Welsh featherweight won the vacant ARES championship in January 2025 by submitting Azize Hlali with a rear-naked choke, then defended it against experienced French veteran Ylies Djiroun in June of that year. O'Connor stopped Djiroun with punches in the second round, extending his unbeaten record and establishing himself as one of the promotion's leading featherweights.

An injury subsequently kept him out of competition. With O'Connor unable to defend the belt, ARES needed another championship fight to keep the division moving.

Fabacary Diatta took that opportunity.

The Frenchman returned from an extended absence at ARES 39 in April 2026 and defeated Ghassen Jbalia by unanimous decision over five rounds to claim the interim featherweight championship. It was an important result for Diatta, who had previously competed in Bellator and entered his latest ARES appearance with only one professional defeat.

How do O'Connor and Diatta match up?

The most interesting difference between the champions is how they have built their professional records.

Eight of O'Connor's 10 victories have come inside the distance: five by KO/TKO and three by submission. His last two wins illustrate that versatility, with a rear-naked choke against Hlali followed by a striking stoppage of Djiroun.

Diatta has reached the judges considerably more often, winning seven of his 10 professional fights by decision. His victory over Jbalia also demonstrated that he can maintain his approach across a full five-round championship contest.

For O'Connor, the important question is whether his finishing ability and offensive variety will translate immediately after a lengthy layoff. Diatta, meanwhile, has already completed a five-round title fight this year and will be competing in front of a French crowd.

There is no reason to assume that O'Connor's inactivity has diminished his abilities, but the opening rounds should offer an early indication of how comfortably he has returned to competition. Diatta has an opportunity to test the champion's timing and force him into a longer fight than most of his previous opponents have managed.

The suggestion in the post that O'Connor held up the division is the account's characterization of his absence. The established situation is that he was sidelined by injury, ARES introduced an interim championship, and the two titleholders are now scheduled to meet.

Whoever wins Friday's main event will leave Paris as the sole ARES featherweight champion, with another notable result on a résumé that could attract interest beyond the French promotion.

Alexis Nicolas vs Ilyasse Drabo: Former ONE kickboxing champion returns to MMA

Alexis Nicolas has been given the co-main event position despite having only one professional MMA fight on his record. His background explains why ARES is paying so much attention to his transition.

The French striker became ONE Championship's lightweight kickboxing champion in April 2024 when he defeated Regian Eersel by unanimous decision. Nicolas ended Eersel's lengthy winning streak and became the first French fighter to capture a ONE kickboxing world title.

Eersel subsequently reclaimed the championship, but Nicolas had already established his credentials against one of the sport's most accomplished strikers.

After moving into MMA, Nicolas made his professional debut against Jack Woodard at ARES 40 in April 2026.

Woodard attempted to test the newcomer's wrestling and ground defense rather than allowing him to settle into a kickboxing match. Nicolas survived those exchanges, returned to his feet and eventually stopped Woodard with punches in the second round.

His next opponent, Ilyasse Drabo, enters Friday's welterweight contest with a 1-1 professional record.

Alexis Nicolas vs. Ilyasse Drabo is a useful follow-up test because Nicolas remains inexperienced under MMA rules despite his extensive striking background. Drabo has already experienced both a quick submission defeat and a first-round TKO victory in his professional career.

There is also some genuine tension around the co-main event. Nicolas and Drabo exchanged heated words during the ARES 43 press conference.

The promotion refers to Nicolas as “Barboza,” his established fighting nickname. The co-main event is Nicolas vs. Drabo, not a separate matchup involving another fighter named Barboza.

For Nicolas, another successful performance would strengthen the case that his transition is progressing beyond the novelty of a decorated kickboxer entering an MMA cage. Drabo has an opportunity to establish himself against a much more recognizable opponent.

Akhmed Amaev vs Luke Shanks: Unbeaten prospect meets former Cage Warriors champion

The flyweight matchup between Akhmed Amaev and Luke Shanks is one of the card's more interesting tests of youth against experience.

Amaev is an unbeaten prospect with an accomplished amateur background that includes two IMMAF championship titles. Since turning professional, he has built his reputation around early finishes, including a first-round stoppage of Ilie Munteanu at ARES 38 in January.

His opponent has already achieved something Amaev is still working toward: winning a significant professional MMA championship.

Luke Shanks became Cage Warriors flyweight champion in September 2020 when he defeated Samir Faiddine by unanimous decision over five rounds. He later lost the belt to Jake Hadley and has continued competing against experienced opponents across the European and international MMA scene.

Shanks enters Akhmed Amaev vs. Luke Shanks with a 10-6 professional record. Sixteen professional fights and previous five-round championship experience give him a different background from many of Amaev's earlier opponents.

Shanks has the experience to make this a more demanding fight than Amaev's recent quick finishes. The prospect's pace and finishing ability are the obvious attractions, but his performance against a former champion should offer a clearer indication of his readiness for higher-level professional opposition.

Wael Kambouche vs Ulysse Obame Ndong adds another featherweight matchup

The main event is not the only featherweight fight involving an undefeated prospect.

Wael Kambouche enters at 2-0 against Ulysse Obame Ndong, who brings a 3-1 record into Wael Kambouche vs. Ulysse Obame Ndong.

Kambouche trains at ATCH Academy, the same team represented on the card by Fabacary Diatta and Alexis Nicolas. That gives the Paris-based gym three fighters competing on the same ARES event, including both participants in the two highest-profile matchups.

For Kambouche, this is an opportunity to build on an unbeaten start against an opponent with slightly more professional experience. Ndong, representing Gabon, can disrupt that momentum and secure a notable away victory.

Brad Jean-Elie returns against Danylo Kartavyi

Heavyweight prospect Brad Jean-Elie made a memorable professional debut at ARES 41 in June, stopping Ivan Santana with strikes in just 30 seconds.

That result followed a successful amateur career and immediately generated attention around the French heavyweight, but a half-minute professional debut leaves plenty unanswered.

Danylo Kartavyi arrives with a 2-1-1 professional record and experience competing in other established MMA organizations. The Ukrainian has gone beyond the opening round in previous fights, giving him a different profile from an opponent brought in solely to exchange power shots.

Brad Jean-Elie vs. Danylo Kartavyi should provide another look at Jean-Elie's development if the fight lasts longer than his debut. His athleticism and finishing ability have attracted attention, but the important question is how those attributes hold up when an opponent survives the initial exchanges.

Jimmy Vienot, William Loussala and the rest of the ARES 43 lineup

Jimmy Vienot vs Josenildo Pantoja

Jimmy Vienot brings another accomplished striking background to the event. The Frenchman won the prestigious Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai title in 2019 before competing in ONE Championship and eventually moving into MMA.

Vienot enters Jimmy Vienot vs. Josenildo Pantoja with a 2-1 professional MMA record. His latest appearance ended in a decision defeat to Mario Gagliardi at ARES 39 in April.

Pantoja provides the opposition for Vienot's return in a scheduled catchweight contest at 74 kilograms. The matchup gives the French striker another opportunity to apply his stand-up experience under MMA rules while dealing with an opponent whose professional victories have come by stoppage.

William Loussala vs Kevin Tchoupa

Undefeated William Loussala, 2-0, faces Kevin Tchoupa, 2-1, in a light heavyweight contest.

With only five combined professional appearances entering William Loussala vs. Kevin Tchoupa, this is an early-career matchup rather than an established contenders' fight. Both men have an opportunity to move forward in ARES's 205-pound division.

Vincent Yerly vs Joelson Ferreira

Vincent Yerly returns for his second professional MMA appearance against Joelson Ferreira, who enters with a 3-1 record.

Vincent Yerly vs. Joelson Ferreira is scheduled at middleweight. Yerly's unbeaten professional start meets an opponent with more recorded cage experience, making it another useful development fight on the card.

Dylan Antoine vs Anuj Anuj

Dylan Antoine is scheduled to make his professional MMA debut against unbeaten Anuj Anuj, who enters at 2-0.

The lightweight contest, Dylan Antoine vs. Anuj Anuj, rounds out the nine-fight lineup.

ARES FC 43 full fight card

Main Card

Preliminary Card

ARES FC 43 start time and how to watch

ARES FC 43 takes place Friday, September 25, 2026, at the Adidas Arena in Paris, France.

The preliminary card is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Paris time, with the opening fights available through Canal+ Sport's Twitch channel in France. Coverage continues on Canal+ Sport 360 from 8:30 p.m., followed by the five-fight main card at 9:30 p.m.

The O'Connor vs. Diatta title fight is expected late in the evening, around 11:30 p.m. Paris time, although the exact start will depend on how long the earlier fights last.

International broadcast availability may differ from the French schedule.

ARES FC 43 FAQ

When and where is ARES FC 43?

ARES FC 43 takes place Friday, September 25, 2026, at the Adidas Arena in Paris, France.

What is the ARES FC 43 main event?

The main event is Josh O'Connor vs. Fabacary Diatta, a five-round fight to unify the ARES featherweight championship.

Why is Josh O'Connor fighting Fabacary Diatta for the featherweight title?

O'Connor is the reigning ARES featherweight champion, while Diatta won the interim championship during O'Connor's injury-related absence. Their fight will determine the division's sole champion.

Is Josh O'Connor undefeated?

Yes. Josh O'Connor enters ARES FC 43 with a 10-0 professional MMA record. His most recent fight was a second-round TKO victory over Ylies Djiroun in June 2025.

How did Fabacary Diatta become interim ARES featherweight champion?

Diatta defeated Ghassen Jbalia by unanimous decision over five rounds at ARES 39 in April 2026 to claim the interim featherweight championship.

Who is Alexis Barboza Nicolas fighting at ARES 43?

Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas faces Ilyasse Drabo in the welterweight co-main event. It will be Nicolas's second professional MMA fight following his victory over Jack Woodard at ARES 40.

Was Alexis Nicolas a ONE Championship kickboxing champion?

Yes. Nicolas defeated Regian Eersel by unanimous decision in April 2024 to win the ONE lightweight kickboxing world championship.

Who is Akhmed Amaev fighting at ARES 43?

Akhmed Amaev faces former Cage Warriors flyweight champion Luke Shanks. Shanks won the Cage Warriors title by defeating Samir Faiddine in September 2020.

What time does ARES FC 43 start?

The preliminary card begins at 7:30 p.m. Paris time, with the main card scheduled for 9:30 p.m. The O'Connor vs. Diatta main event is expected around 11:30 p.m., depending on the earlier results.

How can I watch ARES FC 43?

In France, the opening preliminaries are scheduled for Canal+ Sport's Twitch channel, with coverage continuing on Canal+ Sport 360. Check local listings for availability outside France.

How many fights are scheduled for ARES FC 43?

Nine fights are scheduled: five on the main card and four on the preliminary card.

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