Dan Hooker vows to ruin Salahdine Parnasse’s UFC debut at UFC Paris

Dan Hooker is set to clash with Salahdine Parnasse in the UFC Paris main event on September 5 at Accor Arena, and the New Zealand lightweight has made his intentions clear: to derail the French prospect's high-profile UFC debut.

Parnasse (23–2), a former two-division KSW champion, initially turned down an earlier UFC offer and competed on the inaugural Most Valuable Promotions event broadcast on Netflix. The promotion ultimately sweetened its pitch, landing him the main event slot against the veteran Hooker (24–14), a longtime UFC lightweight.

Hooker has been candid about the atmosphere surrounding the matchup. In an interview with Submission Radio, he revealed receiving death threats and hostile messages from French fans following the bout announcement—a level of vitriol he said he did not experience when fighting Benoit St. Denis in France previously. "The death threats have been outrageous," Hooker said, vowing to "shut this kid's lights out" and make detractors "eat their words."

The Kiwi fighter is relishing the opportunity to spoil a homecoming narrative. "I'm here to ruin hopes and dreams," Hooker stated. "This kid wants to come in, make a name for himself, crack the Top 10; he wants to be a superstar. Well, I'm going to fly to France, and I'm going to fuck everyone's night up. That is my plan." For Parnasse, what promised to be a landmark debut against a ranked opponent now carries the weight of a hostile crowd and an opponent openly bent on disruption.