Ateba Gautier is regarded to have a very bright future in the UFC after scoring a brutal KO in his first outing in the promotion.
At UFC 318 on July 19, the promotion returns to New Orleans for an event headlined by one of Louisiana’s finest, Dustin Poirier who will make his final appearance against Max Holloway.
With a win over Holloway, Poirier could break a two-year-old record currently held by Drew Dober for the most knockouts in the lightweight division.
And ahead of ‘The Diamond’s’ retirement fight, UFC boss Dana White has waxed lyrical over Poirier, labelling him as an ‘all-time great’ for his incredible career in the sport.
Making an appearance on the main card is potentially the next big star at middleweight, Ateba Gautier.
Ateba Gautier was branded ‘middleweight Francis Ngannou’ after debut win
On July 19, Gautier will take on Robert Valentin, who is one of the most unique figures in the sport and is looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses.
However, the Swiss fighter will have an extremely tough task on his hands when he steps into the cage with Gautier, who has terrifying power and incredible athleticism.
‘The Silent Assassin’ was given his contract in the premier promotion after scoring a big round two KO on Dana White’s Contender Series last September.
He was then booked to fight Jose Medina on the UFC Mexico City undercard earlier this year in what was deemed to be a tough fight for Gautier as Medina has shown his heart in the cage on several occasions.
Early in the fight, Gautier showcased his well-rounded skill base, utilising his kicks well, setting up for his big power shots.
And then with just over a minute and a half left of the first round, Gautier landed a huge knee on the chin of Medina, sinking him to the ground, scoring a huge debut win.
Ateba Gautier could be the next middleweight star
Just under a month after Gautier takes on Valentin at UFC 318, the middleweight title will be defended by Dricus Du Plessis when he takes on Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 319 main event.
After already being compared to Francis Ngannou, Gautier will hope to continue impressing the fanbase, and may potentially find himself fighting near the rankings by the end of the year.