French Heavyweight Anthony Morel Vows To 'Lift Opponent To The Ceiling' At Hexagone MMA 11

Anthony Morel shocked the MMA world on debut and he is aiming to do it once again at Hexagone MMA 11

At Hexagone MMA 10, French heavyweight Anthony Morel announced himself to the world after scoring a spectacular first-round KO victory over Senegal's Adama Diop.

The 31-year-old Réunion fighter, making his pro debut,  came into the contest known primarily for his grappling, having captured multiple French wrestling titles since he began competing as a 13-year-old. However, it was Morel's stand-up game that caught fans' attention after he sent Diop to the canvas with a perfectly timed spinning back elbow.

The newly minted fan favourite will return to the cage this week at Hexagone MMA 11 on September 7 in Nantes, France, when he collides with another Senegalese fighter, Didier Toure.

Morel knows that when it comes to MMA, no fighter can afford to rest on their laurels. After his win at HMMA 10 the Frenchman and and his team at MMA 974 in Saint-Leu have returned to the gym with a vengeance, and Morel is promising to put on a show for the audience once again.

"For my next fight, I'm preparing as if it were my first, focusing on my physical condition and refining my close-quarters game," Morel says, speaking to KickPunchBlock.

"My opponent is tall, so I intend to maintain a close distance and lift him to the ceiling with my wrestling!"

His victory over Diop has seen him attract a growing fanbase in Réunion, which has a population of under 900,000, and Morel is keen to use his success to help grow the sport of MMA on the island as well as represent its people on the global stage.  

"'I'm happy because this event grants me great visibility, showcases Réunion internationally, and presents a positive image of MMA towards the younger generation," Morel explains.

"Since my KO victory with the spinning elbow, people stop me on the street to sign autographs, whether they're adults or children."

What made his victory at HMMA 10 even more special was that the winning manoeuvre was something he and his coaches had been working on before the fight. While Morel was looking to implement his wrestling game, he was also looking for opportunities to unleash his elbows. It would be fair to say that when the opportunity came, he seized it with everything he had.

"To be honest, my intention was to secure the victory through submission," he explains.

"However, I always planned on utilizing my elbows, as Senegalese wrestlers aren't very accustomed to that technique, and it paid off, something my coaches and I are proud of."

Since its legislation in 2020, the French MMA scene has grown at an exponential rate. For a fighter like Morel, being signed to a promotion like Hexagone MMA has allowed him to view a career as a professional MMA athlete as an achievable proposition.
 
"Signing with a major professional organisation like Hexagone has motivated me to invest even more into MMA. Today, I train twice a day like a true professional, " Morel says.

"Securing financial support has become a necessity to contribute to my success. We're working together as a team to make it happen. In this regard, a big thank you for the support from my fans on my Facebook page, BIGMOREL."

Réunion may be a 12-hour flight to the French mainland, but the island's MMA culture is on the rise, and it could be that Morel is just the start of a new wave of MMA talent coming out of the Indian Ocean.

 "There are numerous clubs in Réunion, and the skill level continues to improve. However, we lack an official contingent validated by FMMAF and equipment, such as an octagon to launch MMA competitions. The upcoming arrival of Hexagone MMA in Réunion should accelerate these developments."