This is the live blog for Dan Hooker vs. Salahdine Parnasse, the lightweight main event for Saturday’s UFC Paris card at Accor Arena in the City of Light.
A fixture of the UFC for over a decade, Hooker is one of the most exciting fighters in the lightweight division, which is saying something. Unfortunately for Hooker, he’s had a rough run of fights lately, dropping two in a row, both by stoppage. Before that, Hooker was a dark horse candidate to challenge for the lightweight title, and now he’s looking to get back into the mix with a win over the highly-touted Parnasse.
A former two-division champion in KSW, Parnasse is one of the few men in MMA history to ever even attempt to become a three-weight champion, falling short in his KSW welterweight title bid in 2023. Since then, the French-Moroccan fighter has returned to the lightweight division where he’s rattled off five in a row, and now makes his long-awaited UFC debut.
Check out the live blog for Hooker vs. Parnasse below.
Preamble
Well, Axel Sola is getting a bonus. That was nasty.
And I fully expect this main event to be equally as nasty, one way or the other. These two dudes don’t really know how to be boring. Let’s enjoy.
Pre Fight
Parnasse is out to California Love and he looks very comfortable.
Hooker walks out, but I can’t tell what he’s walking to because the boos in the arena are too loud, and he hasn’t even hit the actual arena. The French crowd is not playing.
Hooker is 8 years older, 2 inches taller, and has a 3.5 inch reach advantage. He’s a +425 underdog though, with Parnasse coming in at -575.
Joe Martinez gets things going. Martinez asks Paris to make some noise if they are ready. It would seem they are ready. They’re loud for Parnasse, and possibly louder in booing Hooker.
Marc Goddard is the referee.
In the words of Stringer Bell: Alright, let’s do it.
Round 1
Parnasse out in southpaw, with Hooker in orthodox. And Hooker looks enormous in there. He seems significantly bigger than Parnasse, who looks like his featherweight days.
Feeling out early. Nothing major attempted for the first minute, with the two just exchanging low kicks at range. Hooker is being very patient while Parnasse feints and feints. Now they’re ramping it up, but it’s kicks both ways. All kicks, and the lead hand fight.
Parnasse has checked many of these kicks though, and the same can’t be said for Hooker. Parnasse is also, slowly but surely, backing Hooker up to the fence. The first time he gets him close, Parnasse explodes into a punching combination but Hooker just gets out of the way.
The crowd is rising as Parnasse continues to inch closer. OH!!!!! Huge body kick from Parnasse hurts Hooker! Right to the liver. He’s doubled over and covering up the belly and Parnasse pounces! Hooker to the fence and Parnasse goes high with a kick, then bombs on him with a monster left hook that drops Hooker!! And that’s it! Hooker is covering up and Goddard steps in!!!!
WHAT A DEBUT FOR SALAHDINE PARNASSE!!!!!!
Official Decision
Salahdine Parnasse def. Dan Hooker via TKO (body kick and punches) — 2:35, Round 1
Post Fight
“I’m the best fighter of the world,” Parnasse says to start his post-fight speech.
He talks through the finish, not much to say honestly. Then Parnasse says he’s ready for the next fight. He wants top five, but his “dream fight” is Max Holloway, and then he puts Holloway over for all his accomplishments.
Couldn’t do much better from Parnasse tonight.
