The cheque was there for the taking
One hundred thousand euros. That was waiting for the winner of Hexagone MMA’s under-84kg tournament.
Matthieu Letho Duclos was one win away. In April, he had beaten Ilian Bouafia in the semi-final. The final was there for him, along with the biggest payday of his career.
He never took it. A few weeks later, the Frenchman signed with the UFC. He became the third French fighter to join the American promotion in 2026.
So, back to square one. No guarantees. No safety net.
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“You do not turn down the UFC”
At his pre-UFC Paris news conference, he laid out his thinking. Straight to the point.
“You do not turn down the UFC. Money matters, but there are bigger things: putting honour on your name, representing your country at the highest level. That is the most important thing, far more than money.”
Then he put a number on it, accountant-style.
“If we want to get into the detail, being in the UFC can bring in money down the line. Maybe not 100,000 cash, but there will definitely be financial fallout. So it is an investment, you could say.”
A gamble, not a snap decision
The Frenchman set out the maths himself. The tournament was no sure thing either.
“Yes, it is a risk because nothing guarantees I win. But my victory was not guaranteed in the tournament either. So for me, it is a risk… You do not get anything without taking risks.”
On one side, instant cash you can bank in a single night. On the other, a shot at a career at the very top of the sport, with all the rewards that come with it.
He will find out soon enough if he got it right. His first UFC bout takes place in Paris, in front of his own crowd. Win, and the gamble starts to look smart. Lose, and that Hexagone final will be hanging over him for a while yet.
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