Living up to the hype has proven a difficult task for many making their UFC debuts, but that wasn’t the case for Salahdine Parnasse at UFC Paris this weekend.
Making a first appearance in the UFC in front of thousands of hometown fans in his home country of France was always going to be tough for anybody. While it doesn’t get much bigger than a main-event fight on home turf in your debut, Parnasse made it look like a sparring session against a true, tried-and-tested veteran in Dan Hooker.
An energetic crowd was on Salahdine Parnasse’s side, who ran through Hooker and delivered one of the most impressive UFC debuts in recent history. Expectations were shattered by Parnasse’s calm and collected manner. Despite his composed demeanor under the bright lights, the 28-year-old knew when to pounce.
Hunting down Dan Hooker, Parnasse placed a devastating, pinpoint kick to the liver that snuck under Hooker’s guard. The shot echoed around the arena, dissolving the New Zealander’s poker face and causing him to wince in pain. Hooker was left compromised, and Parnasse went in for the kill.
Surging forward, the Frenchman threw a high kick before landing on the button with a huge left hook that dropped the veteran, still hurt from the liver shot. Following him to the ground, Parnasse rained down a barrage of punches, forcing the referee to step in and close the curtain on a great night of fights in the French capital.
Likely spearheading his way into the UFC rankings, Salahdine Parnasse capitalized on his moment with a big callout. Wasting no time getting familiar with the octagon, Parnasse is seeking a jump in competition. Anyone in the top five would be welcome, but a dream fight against Max Holloway was his ideal next matchup, which generated a significant reaction from the audience.
Check it out below.