UFC Paris main event winner Salahdine Parnasse calls Max Holloway ‘my dream fight’

Salahdine Parnasse made a statement in his UFC Paris main event debut, dismantling veteran lightweight Dan Hooker with a devastating knockout in the opening round and immediately staking his claim among the division's elite.

The former two-division KSW champion, brought into the UFC as a prized signing, needed just over half a round to dispatch Hooker, a well-known contender with extensive UFC experience. The emphatic victory marked Parnasse's first win under the UFC banner in his home country, and he used the post-fight platform to call out Max Holloway, the promotion's legendary featherweight-turned-lightweight and recent victor over Conor McGregor at UFC 329.

"My dream fight is Max Holloway," Parnasse declared via translator, expressing admiration for Holloway's championship pedigree and conditioning. At the post-fight press conference, he elaborated that facing Holloway would allow him to test himself against one of combat sports' most durable athletes. Though Holloway appears to be waiting for top contenders at lightweight to sort themselves out, making an immediate matchup unlikely, Parnasse's confidence is backed by results: he has won six consecutive fights and 11 of his last 12 bouts.

Parnasse's ambitions extend beyond a single marquee fight. Having competed in multiple championship bouts during his time with KSW at both 155 and 145 pounds, he's now targeting UFC gold. He suggested a timeline of roughly three fights before pursuing a title shot, signalling he intends to climb the lightweight ranks methodically while staying in contention. His rapid knockout of Hooker demonstrated why the promotion invested in him, and his stated goal remains clear: to become the best in the world.