UFC Fight Night 258: William Gomis vs Robert Ruchala Preview & Prediction
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Robert Ruchala finds himself behind enemy lines as he takes on French fan favorite, William Gomis, in an exciting featherweight tilt.
William Gomis vs Robert Ruchala facts
What time are William Gomis and Robert Ruchala expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho? Accor Arena, Paris, France
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 258
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho main card
Nassourdine Imavov vs Caio Borralho (Middleweight)
Benoit Saint Denis vs Mauricio Ruffy (Lightweight)
Modestas Bukauskas vs Paul Craig (Light Heavyweight)
Bolaji Oki vs Mason Jones (Lightweight)
Rhys McKee vs Axel Sola (Welterweight)
UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho prelims
William Gomis vs Robert Ruchala (Featherweight)
Oumar Sy vs Brendson Ribeiro (Light Heavyweight)
Marcin Tybura vs Ante Delija (Heavyweight)
Harry Hardwick vs Kaue Fernandez (Lightweight)
Sam Patterson vs Trey Waters (Welterweight)
Brad Tavares vs Robert Bryczek (Middleweight)
Andreas Gustafsson vs Rinat Fakhretdinov (Welterweight)
Shauna Bannon vs Sam Hughes (Women’s Strawweight)
William Gomis: "Jaguar" looks to prove that his first UFC defeat was just a bump in the road
A slick and elusive striker hailing from France's renowned MMA Factory, William Gomis (14-3) rarely fails to entertain. His controversial decision defeat to Hyder Amil in March snapped what had been a perfect 4-0 UFC run since he joined the promotion in 2022, with Gomis earning wins over the likes of Jarno Errens, Yanis Ghemmouri and Joanderson Brito along the way. While he doesn't possess a great deal of stopping power, the Frenchman throws his strikes at near lightning speed; a state of affairs that often leaves his opponents in a literal state of bewilderment.
Robert Ruchala: The KSW export enters enemy territory in search of a French scalp in his UFC debut
Another exciting prospect to come out of the fighting country of Poland, Robert Ruchala (11-1) makes his UFC debut with high expectations for anybody familiar with KSW's brand of MMA. The former featherweight champion in the Polish promotion, Ruchala possesses a wildly entertaining fight style and is more than willing to take a shot in the pocket in order to land two of his own. A longtime training partner of UFC lightweight staple Mateusz Gamrot who splits his time between American Top Team and Team Red Dragon, Ruchala has a chance to make an immediate splash in a high profile match up against the hometown favorite.
William Gomis vs Robert Ruchala prediction
While the oddsmakers appear to be siding in Gomis' favor, Ruchala is unquestionably a live dog in this matchup. The Pole is a big man for the weight class and his ultra aggressive brand of wild striking could prove to be the foil to Gomis' technically perfect point striking game.
However, that's not to say that he's going to win this one. While he rarely puts pedal to the metal in pursuit of a finish, Gomis is a legitimately world class kickboxer, one who delights in eluding his foe's strikes as he peppers them at range with an array of dynamic techniques. With his sole defeat coming via highly contentious decision at the hands of Hyder Amil, he's also 4-1 in the best MMA promotion in the world, while Ruchala has yet to prove that he can hang tough at this level.
While the fights in question took place at vastly different points in their respective careers, it's also worth taking the disparity in the two men's performances against their sole mutual opponent, Salahdine Parnasse, into account. Gomis dropped a hard fought decision to the French prospect in his debut, whereas Ruchala got completely folded in his ninth professional fight, losing via KO to one of the nastiest soccer body kicks in recent memory.
Gomis' lack of finishing potential means that such a scenario is unlikely to repeat itself here, but that won't stop the Frenchman from frustrating Ruchala at range for three rounds.
Prediction: William Gomis to win
