His 2025 campaign featured three fights and three first-round knockouts over a 7-month stretch, each performance as dominant as the last.
In his UFC debut, Gautier looked as if he were competing in his 30th professional bout. For the opening few minutes, he stalked Jose Daniel Medina around the Octagon, patiently finding his range and biding his time. With a minute-and-a-half remaining in the round, Gautier backed Medina up along the fence and unleashed a flurry of hooks, capped with a knee up the middle that sent the durable Medina crashing to the canvas.
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Four months later at UFC 318, Gautier was matched up with The Ultimate Fighter season 32 finalist Robert Valentin. Unlike his debut, where it took a few minutes to land his power shots, Gautier had Valentin retreating within 20 seconds. Once Valentin’s back touched the cage, Gautier went to work, landing one punishing strike after another. To Valentin’s credit, he absorbed much of the punishment well, but Gautier’s relentless pressure was far too much to overcome. After a second knockdown, referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight.