From Aleppo to the UFC
The journey of a refugee who became the best flyweight in France
UFC signing - Accor Arena
The dream becomes reality. Michael signs with the UFC and will face Fabia Sintes (11-3) on September 5, 2026 at the Accor Arena in Paris. First fighter from Old School Academy to reach the UFC.
No Contest - Title defense in Gyor
Title defense against Romero dos Reis (8-2) in Hungary. "He's an octopus, dos Reis." Michael dominated but the referee stopped the fight on a body kick that was legal. Complaint filed, the loss became a No Contest. Unbeaten streak intact.
Meanwhile, Michael continues working night shifts on construction sites. "Glory can wait, bills can't."
Hexagone MMA Champion - #1 France
The national breakthrough. 3 fights, 3 wins that year. Liridon Ramani (7-3) falls by decision over 5 rounds in January. Leno Rodrigo (10-3) TKO in round 2 in June. And on title night in November: Pedro Nobre (12-5) drops in round 1 by TKO, a devastating right hook.
Michael climbs to #1 in France, #2 in Western Europe, #4 in Europe in the flyweight division.
Double MMA GP Champion + Jungle Strike Champion
Back in France, Michael stops losing. He wins the MMA GP title twice at the Zenith in Paris. Ezzoubair Bouarsa (6-2) by decision over 5 rounds, then Nuno Costa (9-4) by TKO in round 1. In between: Sylvain Sommereisen (5-3) TKO in round 3. He also adds the Jungle Strike belt.
Some criticize the "quality of his opponents." 77% finish rate vs 45% UFC average in his division. The numbers speak.
Training camp in Thailand at Bangtai in Phuket with the whole Old School team, 20 people including wives and children. Michael trains with Petr Yan, former UFC bantamweight champion. "I have nothing to teach you, you already know everything." He also crosses paths with Aljamain Sterling and Alexander Volkanovski.
BRAVE CF 48 - The lesson
First major international test in Bahrain against Azat Maksum (7-1). Loss by TKO in round 3. "There was too much desire to fight. It was enough to just stand in front of the opponent and trade punches." Gaetan smashed a chair he was so angry.
Gaetan's wife, a psychologist, begins working with Michael. The work on emotional control changes everything. "Before, I was the angry Michael. Now I'm the smart Michael. I don't feel emotions. I'm there to do my job and come home."
100% Fight Champion
Michael wins the 100% Fight title, stringing together wins by KO and submission. Lucas Tenorio (2-1) TKO R1, Alexandre Guillemant (3-1) submission via Kimura R2, Mickael Kanguichev (4-2) by decision, avenging a 2018 loss.
His offensive style and power turn heads. "He's not a regular 57, he's a 57 who hits extremely hard." Deadlift 200kg, squat 180kg at 57kg bodyweight.
Old School Academy - First pro fights
Frederic Barrington, a former judo coach, sees Michael doing wild leg demonstrations after a class. He points him to Gaetan Hurtel at the Old School Academy in Villecresnes (94). "Gaetan is the only coach who never recruited a single fighter. He built them all from scratch."
Michael arrives without knowing how to box or wrestle. Gaetan takes him under his wing. Within weeks he understands: "He was a guy who was serious, who didn't talk just to make noise."
First pro outings: Charly Hoang submission R1, Ulrich Agbessi submission R1, then two TKOs at 100% Fight Contenders. Also a decision loss to Mathieu Morciano (1-0) at Hard Fighting Championship and a TKO loss to Kanguichev. The machine is rolling regardless.
Learning to survive
Arriving without speaking a word of French, Michael holds on. Mrs. Montenegro, his teacher, becomes his anchor. "We didn't just talk about classes but about my life in general." In just 3 years, he speaks fluently and earns his science baccalaureate.
He starts with judo, earning a blue belt in under a year, then a brown belt shortly after. He wins tournament medals with "very little judo experience." But he has only one goal: MMA. Problem: it's still illegal in France. So he trains alone, between classes and after school. "I liked looking far ahead and thinking about my future. The UFC, always on my mind."
Fleeing the war
Starting in 2013, Aleppo is hell. The regime uses "barmils," oil barrels filled with napalm, dropped by helicopter on civilian areas. There's a sniper right next to Michael's house. "Sometimes he would amuse himself, since nobody was around, he would shoot at cats. It was a game to him."
Michael's mother decides: they have to leave. On the bus to Lebanon, an ISIS group stops the vehicle. Michael, 16, is forced off. A soldier puts a bulletproof vest with grenades on him and puts a weapon in his hands. "You have two choices. Either you fight for us, or we kill you and your family." His father sees him from the bus window. He gets off, negotiates, gives money. They pass. Destination: France, to the aunt's.
His father at the moment of goodbye: "I didn't have a one in a million chance of seeing them again. But I thought: let them be safe, far from me, it's better."
Kidnapping attempt
Michael leaves church and heads to training. A van, a man from behind, a hand over his mouth, a knife. Michael strikes twice, turns the knife around, stabs the attacker in the leg. He's 14. His mother decides: they have to leave.
Childhood in Aleppo
Christian family settled in Aleppo in the late 80s. Before the war, "we didn't know who was Christian, who was Muslim. We treated each other as people, as humans." A cosmopolitan city par excellence. School, training, scouts, a happy childhood.
Michael starts combat sports at 2 and a half years old. His mother's choice: "It was the only way to earn respect." A hyperactive kid, he piles up competitions. Arab World Champion in Kung Fu in 2008 and 2009. "Professional sports in Syria paid nothing. A pro soccer player made 50 euros a month." Michael's career would not have been possible in Syria.