France’s Salahdine Parnasse, long considered one of the best fighters outside the UFC, has now joined the promotion.
Parnasse (23-2) will make his debut at UFC Paris, headlining the event opposite Dan “The Hangman” Hooker (24-14). The fight will take place at lightweight.
Promotion officials announced the news on Saturday.
We know you've been waiting for this ‼️@SalahdineP has signed with the UFC and will face @danthehangman for the main event at #UFCParis !
[ SEP 5 | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Zz7EuwrqSZ
— UFC (@ufc) July 25, 2026
It’s rare that a debuting UFC fighter lands in a main event, though RIZIN champ Kai Asakura was granted an immediate title shot against Alexandre Pantoja when he joined the promotion in December of 2024.
Parnasse claimed both featherweight and lightweight titles in Poland’s KSW, one of the largest MMA promotions operating in mainland Europe. The French star, 28-years old, holds wins over Artur Sowiński, Daniel Rutkowski, Robert Ruchala, and UFC/Bellator vet Marcin Held, among others. Most recently, he appeared as part of the inaugural MVP MMA card on Netflix, finishing Kenneth Cross inside of a round.
An over-achiever, Parnasse even contested for a third title in KSW, coming up short in a bid for welterweight gold in 2023, in his 170lb debut.
City Kickboxing fighter Hooker has lost two straight fights, most recently suffering defeat at the hands of French star Benoit St-Denis. While it’s not a rematch, the New Zealander gets a chance for a bit of revenge by taking on BSD’s countryman on French soil.
UFC Paris takes place at the Accor Arena in Paris, France on September 5, 2026. With Hooker vs. Parnasse headlining, the card currently includes the following reported and announced bouts:
- Dan Hooker vs. Salahdine Parnasse
- Michael Page vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
- Kurtis Campbell vs. Trevor Peek
- Mário Pinto vs. Ryan Spann
- Matthieu Letho Duclos vs. Luis Felipe Dias
- Fabià Sintes vs. Michael Aljarouj
- Nora Cornolle vs. Klaudia Syguła
- Oumar Sy vs. Modestas Bukauskas
- Losene Keita vs. Muhammad Naimov
- Nathaniel Wood vs. Mairon Santos
- Felipe Lima vs. Morgan Charrière
