New French Star Salahdine Parnasse Calls Out Holloway at UFC Paris
The Octagon traveled to Accor Arena in Paris, France, on Saturday, September 5, and the event was a grand success.
Not only were there some very exciting knockouts on the UFC Paris card, but several of them were done by French fighters in their home country, creating new stars along the way.
Related: UFC Paris Predictions for Hooker vs. Parnasse
When the UFC goes to international locations, the hope is that they can create new stars that can help the promotion sell tickets for future shows in those locales.
Well, we saw that on full display at UFC Paris, as five French fighters got their hands raised, including in the main event of the evening.
Salahdine Parnasse Can Be The Next Big Thing in the UFC
In the main event of UFC Paris, Salahdine Parnasse proved the hype when he brutally knocked out veteran Dan Hooker in the first round with a kick to the body that softened him up, followed by punches that finished his foe.
Parnasse came into the UFC with a ton of hype after being a star in Europe and then having a successful North American mixed martial arts debut earlier this year on MVP MMA’s first card.
Some fans, though, still doubted Parnasse, since he had not fought anyone close to Hooker’s level, as the Kiwi is a perennial top-15 ranked lightweight.
But Parnasse not only beat Hooker, but he did so in style when he finished his opponent in the first round with a stylish knockout.
After the fight, Parnasse used his post-fight interview as an opportunity to call out former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, who is now competing at lightweight.
It’s a great callout, as Holloway is not booked following his first-round injury TKO win over Conor McGregor at UFC 329 in July.
It’s unknown if the UFC will give Parnasse what he wants, which is a matchup against Holloway, but it was worth calling him out and seeing if the Hawaiian will bite on the callout.
Other French Stars Emerge on UFC Paris Undercard
In the co-main event, Axel Sola brutally knocked out Fares Ziam for the biggest win of his UFC career to date.
Both of these fighters are French, so the UFC was guaranteeing that a hometown fighter would win either way.
But Sola’s brutal knockout win in the first round is the kind of win that will see him explode up the UFC lightweight rankings and basically guarantees that he gets a top-15-ranked opponent his next time out.
It was a really impressive win and the type of victory that will make Sola a fan favorite going forward, as fans will be excited to see his next outing.
On the prelims, we had three French fighters win, with Nora Cornolle, Matthieu Duclos, and Delphine Benouaich all getting their hands raised.
Benouaich, in particular, is interesting because she scored a vicious finish over Sofia Montenegro in the first fight on the card.
Most women’s strawweight bouts go the distance, but Benouaich battered her opponent to a pulp, leaving her drowning in a pool of her own blood before choking her out cold.
It was an incredible win by Benouaich, a physical education teacher-turned-MMA fighter, who could become a big star for the UFC in France.
Duclos also had a nice knockout over Luis Felipe Dias, and Cornolle won a clear-cut decision over Klaudia Sygula, to round out the event.
Overall, UFC Paris was a grand success, and anytime you have these local heroes getting their hands raised with vicious finishes, it’s massive for the company and for these fighters’ careers.
Related: Salahdine Paransse Can Become the UFC’s Next Big Star
This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Sep 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Other Sports section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.