Fernand Lopez

At a glance

• Former pro MMA fighter who went 10-7 between 2006 and 2010.
• Co-founder of MMA Factory in Paris, where he coached Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane.
• Sporting director of ARES Fighting Championship from 2019 to 2021, then bought the promotion in 2021.

Overview

Fernand Lopez was born in 1978 in the Lekié region of Cameroon and grew up in Yaoundé. He moved to France in 1997, worked as an electrical engineer and studied sports performance and strength and conditioning at INSEP, France's national sports institute. A neck injury ended his rugby days and led him to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, then MMA.

He joined Mathieu Nicourt's Free Fight Academy and turned pro in 2006. Between 2006 and 2010 he fought for promotions including M-1 Global and Shooto, finishing with a 10-7 record.

What you'll find

In 2013 he opened a gym called Cross Fight with Vincent Trébalo, later renamed MMA Factory and built up with Benjamin Sarfati. It started with two members and grew into one of the largest MMA gyms in France, and it was one of three gyms to sign a partnership with Reebok. He serves as coach and sporting director.

In 2017 he also founded Management Factory, a fighter management agency, and later the Fight Management College, which trains coaches for the French state MMA coaching diploma. In 2019 Vivendi Sports brought him in to build ARES Fighting Championship in Dakar, Senegal. He was sporting director until 2021, when he bought the promotion with Benjamin Sarfati as president.

Why follow

Lopez spotted Francis Ngannou when Ngannou was homeless in Paris, convinced him to try MMA and let him train and sleep at the gym for free. They worked together until Ngannou's first UFC title shot, a loss to Stipe Miocic at UFC 220 in 2018, after which Ngannou left MMA Factory and moved to Las Vegas.

Lopez then coached Ciryl Gane to the UFC interim heavyweight title with a win over Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 on August 7, 2021. He has also trained Nassourdine Imavov, Ion Cuțelaba, Taylor Lapilus, Mickaël Lebout, Karl Amoussou and Abdoul Abdouraguimov.

MMA Official's take

Lopez is a reference for athletes and coaches who want to understand how a professional gym and a fighter's career are built in France, from the training room to management and promotion. He works in French, and the gym is based in Paris.

Start with the MMA Factory website to get a look at the gym, then go back through Ciryl Gane's run to his win over Derrick Lewis at UFC 265. If coaching is your path, look at the MMA coaching program offered by the Fight Management College.