MMA: Manon Fiorot from Nice aims for the world title tonight

The big day has arrived. For the French MMA community, a nation that has never reigned supreme in a UFC category, the Everest of the world, Manon Fiorot will forever remain the pioneer. In this cage where almost all blows are allowed and thus all outcomes are possible, the Nice native will step into the spotlight no matter what. The French media are falling under the spell of this warrior with an angelic smile and frenzied energy, who has gone through the last week of preparation for her first title fight with complete peace of mind.

Thursday night was definitely the most complicated in the weight loss protocol (waking up at 3 a.m., weighing in at 9 a.m.) and yet "she still managed to laugh," admires Laura, her best friend for 25 years. Her favorite blonde was still smiling on the scale yesterday morning (photo above), her face less marked than during her last fight and 100 grams over the limit (56.6 kg). A perfect progression of a week where she has always been ahead of the weight curve to follow. Valentina Shevchenko lost half a kilo too much in the same time (56.2 kg). "Error in the preparation of the fight," notes the French camp. The champion probably made another by resorting to trash talking. Valentina "The Bullet" fired another blank cartridge in front of a Bell Centre sympathetic to her cause, "The Beast" intends to respond with live ammunition tonight, in Montreal.

"Manon is mean," Aldric Cassata told us last month when one of the sparring partners left injured. "You understand her nickname when she explodes and never stops hitting," adds Josefine Lindgren Knutsson, a UFC strawweight fighter who also attended the training camp in Nice. "Her speed is impressive for her weight class."

"She's a cardio machine, and her karate kicks are explosive and precise. She's going to fight the best in the world, but I think she'll win. That just proves how good I think she is."

Dethroning a queen who has just reclaimed her crown after losing it only once in seven years is "mission impossible" for Shevchenko's fans, many at the Bell Centre and millions on social media. But this is the destiny chosen by the Fiorot clan since its debut in the UFC. Four years of success without defeat (7) but not without injuries.

A cruciate ligament injury and the Shevchenko-Grasso trilogy never deflected her from her trajectory. On the contrary, she emerged stronger. Two years later, Manon is stronger and better supported. Her mother, sister, stepfather, and best friends traveled to Montreal, and a team of ten followed her everywhere. "In a team sport, everyone works for the team. Our team is Manon," summarizes Jérôme Vaulerin, striking coach in the "big family" that everyone speaks of with pride.

"She mustn't forget this family, this journey, but she's strong enough for that. Manon loves it, she makes you love it afterwards," promises Kristof Midoux. "She'll arrive on the day of the fight and tell you: 'You did everything for me during these months, now I'm going to do it for you.'"

Becoming a world champion is also the promise the 35-year-old from Nice made as a teenager to her father, a skilled wrestler and firefighter who died tragically. "He gives me faith," insists a beast determined to become "The Best."

"I love you very much and I'm proud of you," her friend Laura reminds her before the fight of her life. And the whole city of Nice shouts "Issa Manon!"