ARES Fighting Championship launched in late 2019, with its first event taking place in Dakar, Senegal on December 14, 2019. Public sources consistently connect the promotion to Fernand Lopez, with Franck Carasso identified in public profiles as CEO while Lopez serves as president. ARES has marketed itself as a French-led promotion with a strong Francophone and African footprint, and it has tried to build a lane as a serious development platform for MMA talent in France and nearby markets. The promotion’s identity is tied to expansion, international matchmaking, and giving French and African fighters a higher-profile stage.

