Salahdine Parnasse completed his sensational debut with a bold callout, which has caught Dana White‘s attention.
In front of his home crowd, the Frenchman lit up UFC Paris with a first-round knockout of Dan Hooker. While vastly experienced outside the octagon, with 25 fights on his record before entering the UFC, Parnasse had never done it under the bright lights of the sport’s premier promotion. Despite stepping into the cage with ‘The Hangman,’ known for his gritty performances and high finish rate, the 28-year-old delivered the type of performance expected from a true veteran.
With his best years still ahead of him, Salahdine Parnasse has all the ingredients to be a great addition to the UFC’s lightweight division. But rather than take the slow route to the top, Parnasse wants to be thrust into the lion’s den, calling out Max Holloway after dispatching Hooker.
The display and subsequent callout got many people’s attention; Dana White was the most notable. White was in awe of the love Parnasse received globally, saying:
“Incredible. He was like the third-biggest debut on social media that we’ve ever had. Behind Paddy Pimblett and Rosas Jr… The crowd was incredible. The fight was great. And calling out Max Holloway is pretty crazy.”
“Listen, anything’s interesting. I mean, the fact that guy wants to fight Max Holloway right now is impressive. I like it.”
Watch the full DWCS Post-Fight Press Conference below.
As Salahdine Parnasse came out of his fight against Dan Hooker unscathed, and later debuted at #9 in the media panel UFC rankings, a fight against Max Holloway could be viable.
Holloway is fresh off a 69-second win over Conor McGregor in July. Rumors are beginning to swirl, linking Ilia Topuria to an immediate rematch against Justin Gaethje. If that fight goes ahead, ‘Blessed’ remains in limbo and would likely need another win if his UFC lightweight title ambitions remain, opening up a potential clash with newcomer Parnasse.