The annual September trip to Paris, France has proven to be one of the landmarks of the UFC Fight Night schedule. Since 2022, I do not think there has been a better main event than the one we got on Saturday in terms of its significance. Sure, Gane vs Tuivasa was the most entertaining one and last year’s was a number one contender fight, but this one was a long-awaited debut from one of the regional scene’s most special talents of the last few years. With UFC Paris now behind us, let’s look at what’s next for the winners.
Salahdine Parnasse
After seeing Aaron Pico, Patchy Mix, and mot recently, Losene Keita, failing to deliver in their UFC debut, it was exciting to see the highly touted Salahdine Parnasse leave no doubt as to why the hyped surrounding him was warranted. Being given a top10 lightweight in a main event is a baptism by fire, but Parnasse looked cool as a cucumber as he calmly dismantled him inside the first round. There might be something to be said for Dan Hooker being 36 years old and coming off back-to-back losses, but the sheer ease with which Parnasse handled the assignment cannot be anything other than encouraging. He has now automatically inserted himself as a player in this division. There are a lot of potential options for him, but I went with Max Holloway, the legend that Parnasse called out after his win.
Parnasse’s next fight: Max Holloway
Axel Sola
The fight was lined very closely and it actually did reflect how most people felt about it. The fans seems split 50/50 on who they thought was going to win this one. What was perceived to be a matchup destined for a 15-minutes grind from both combatants actually turned out to be a quick one-shot KO. Axel Sola might still be seen as a bit green by some, but the sheer physicality he brings to the cage cannot be overlooked as he powered through a very skilled operator in Ziam in under two minutes. Another young lightweight prospect who surprised recently is MarQuel Mederos. I would love to see how those two match up.
Sola’s next fight: MarQuel Mederos
Michael Page
Another Michael Page fight, another frustrating performance. For as much as I do not think the UFC has done a good job of with MVP’s matchmaking in his last couple fights, Page himself owns a big portion of the blame for the way those fights played out. He still has a marketable name, and I think if the fights aren’t going to be as action packed as they used to be, he needs to at least be matched up in a way that makes the matchups themselves feel like they hold some weight. I think a fight with Kamaru Usman at middleweight is the sweet spot for where MVP is, at this point.
Page’s next fight: Kamaru Usman
Daniil Donchenko
The 25-year-old TUF winner earned the biggest scalp of his career, thus far, beating the streaking veteran Punahele Soriano via unanimous decision. Soriano is the best name on Donchenko’s resume and while he passed the test, it’s not like he passed with flying colours. Donchenko proved he’s at the stage of his career where he can beat fighters of Soriano’s calibre, but he did not prove that he’s way beyond that tier. For that reason, I would still wait before increasing his level of competition dramatically. I think someone like current version of Geoff Neal would be appropriate for where Donchenko is at.
Donchenko’s next fight: Geoff Neal
Kurtis Campbell
Kurtis Campbell was able to show off his abilities against Trevor Peek in ways that he wasn’t able to against Danny Silva back in March. Silva is tough assignment for anyone, especially for a young, inexperienced fighter making his UFC debut. Reeling back the level of competition to someone like Peek was a good call by the promotion. I think someone like Alberto Montes would be an interest test for Campbell, in the same way that he was for Tommy McMillen.
Campbell’s next fight: Alberto Montes
Losene Keita
After failing to even make it to the cage in Paris last September and then falling short in his actual debut last March, Losene Keita was finally able to show everyone why there was real hype surrounding him. His speed and power were on full display as he one-shotted Muhammad Naimov in under three minutes. I would be interested to see how he deals with someone who can match his athleticism and youth. Someone like the Felipe Lima, who was also victorious on Saturday.
Keita’s next fight: Felipe Lima
