Delphine Benouaich turned in one of the bloodiest Octagon debuts you’ll ever see earlier today (Sept. 5, 2026) at UFC Paris LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Accor Arena in Paris, France, slicing and dicing her way to a second-round submission (rear-naked choke) against fellow women’s strawweight fighter Sofia Montenegro.
Benouaich, who was coming off a stint on The Ultimate Fighter, was a slight betting favorite heading into Saturday’s “Prelims” opener. The French prospect certainly improved her game
during her time on TUF, but the verdict was still out if she could maintain her high-level pressure late into a fight. Montenegro was a live dog, though, as he was the younger and bigger strawweight.
UFC matchmakers must have known something because both women came out firing. They went toe-to-toe on the feet to the applause of the French crowd, but it was Benouaich who was landing at a higher clip. Benouaich eventually scored a nice knockdown in the second round and landed a gruesome elbow that cut Montenegro up. The punishment didn’t stop there as Benouaich continued to rain down heavy elbows and punches that turned the cage into a bloody murder scene. Montenegro eventually turned over and Benouaich applied the choke for the finish. It was wild to say the least.
Check out the video highlights below:
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