UFC Fight Night: Hooker vs. Parnasse Live Updates and Highlights From Paris

There's certainly a lot to unpack after Saturday's rousing card in Paris.

Here are three of the biggest takeaways from the event.

Parnasse is Ready for the Top

After bowling Dan Hooker over in Saturday's main event, there's no question that Salahdine Parnasse is ready to mix it up with the UFC's top lightweights. His resume was already impressive before joining the promotion, and with Hooker now among his vanquished opponents, there's no sense wasting any more time. He may not ever become a UFC champion—it certainly won't be easy with the likes of Justin Gaethje, Ilia Topuria, and Arman Tsarukyan in his way—but after years of grinding outside the UFC, and his huge debut in Paris, it's time to give him the opportunity.

Michael Page is Almost Certainly Done in the UFC

Michael Page is one of MMA's great enigmas. He has produced some of the most violent knockouts we've ever seen in the cage, but unfortunately is become increasingly known for utterly forgettable fights in which he completely fails to live up to his ability. His Paris decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev was one such fight, and given that it was the last on his contract, the writing now seems to be on the wall. It's almost impossible to imagine the UFC making him another offer. Instead, they will most likely let him return to the wilderness of free agency. It's a shame, because he's proven he can beat UFC-level opposition, he just keeps doing it in the most boring fashion possible.

A Great Night for Prospects

Saturday was a huge night for a number of rising fighters who have not yet fully evolved into serious contenders in their divisions. The best example of this was French lightweight Axel Sola, who floored Fares Ziam in the first-round of the co-main event. However, the likes of Losene Keita, Mario Pinto, Felipe Lima, Pavel Andrusca and Delphine Benouaich all deserve massive props for the career-changing wins they achieved in "The City of Light." All of the above seem to have very bright futures in the sport, and it will be exciting to watch how they continue to grow.

In his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping, the victorious Parnasse set his sights on a fight with Max Holloway.

"Max Holloway is my dream fight," he said. "I'm ready."

That's a great fight. Book it!

In the end, Salahdine Parnasse faced almost no resistance in his UFC debut. The French lightweight was aggressive from the opening bell, softening Dan Hooker up with leg kicks and punches, and checking and parrying everything that came back at him. He then put an end to things in the waning moments of the first round, first hurting his veteran opponent with a body kick, and finishing him off with a left hand against the cage.

He looked faster, stronger, and more technical than Hooker, and ultimately, very ready to compete with the best lightweights in the UFC.

In victory, Parnasse sports an overall record of 24-2. After beating Hooker, who was far and away his toughest test to date, it's almost certain that he will land in the lightweight top-10, or just outside it.

For Hooker, things have taken a pretty ugly turn. He's now lost three straight, all by finish, and now stands at 24-15 overall.

He's still a fun fighter to watch, but his days as a top lightweight are clearly over.

It's definitely unusual for a fighter to make their UFC debut in a main event, but France's Salahdine Parnasse (23-2) is not your typical fighter. 

The Frenchman is a former two-division KSW champion with wins over many high-level opponents. Most recently, he knocked out Kenny Cross on Jake Paul's big MVP MMA show on Netflix. He has, for many years, been one of the best fighters competing outside the Octagon. 

His opponent Dan Hooker (24-14) will have a massive edge in big-stage experience, but will still enter the Octagon as a big underdog. That's largely because he's looked pretty rough in his last two fights, suffering back-to-back losses to Arman Tsarukyan and Beneil Saint-Denis. Then again, it wasn't that long ago that he scored a big decision win over Mateusz Gamrot, so those doubting the New Zealander in this fight could be in for a rude awakening.

We'll have our answers very soon. It's time. 

Saturday's co-main event was by far the biggest spot of Axel Sola's MMA career to date, and he made the most of it, flooring his fellow Frenchman Fares Ziam with a rocket-powered right hand to the jaw early in the first round. Ziam hit the deck totally unconscious, with his eyes still open. It was a frightening scene for a moment, but thankfully, he ultimately returned to his feet and left the Octagon on his own.

In victory, Sola is now 13-1-1, with first-round finishes in his last two fights. The lightweight rankings are probably still a few wins a way, be he is heading in that direction at a serious clip.

In defeat, Ziam falls onto a two-fight skid, having also recently lost a decision to Tom Nolan. He's now 18-6 overall.

The French crowd doesn't need to worry about disappointment in the co-main event, as both fighters involved call the country home. 

In corner, we'll have Fares Ziam (18-5). In the other: Axel Sola (12-2-1). The fight will be contested at lightweight.

Ziam will enter the Octagon having most recently lost a decision to Tom Nolan. However, that was preceded by six-straight UFC wins. 

Sola, meanwhile, has gone 2-1 in his first three UFC bouts, most recently choking out Ismael Bonfim in Abu Dhabi. 

This should be a high-level fight, with plenty on the lines for both gentlemen. Let's get to it. 

We all know what Michael "Venom" Page can do at his best. Unfortunately, he consistently fails to do it—even in his winning efforts.

After an utterly forgettable decision win over Sam Patterson last time out, the former Bellator star delivered another utter snoozer in Paris, defeating Nursulton Ruziboev by unanimous decision in a fight where he did almost nothing. In fact, it's arguable the only reason he won his because his opponent did even less than he did—evidently wary of Page's famous flashes of violence, which seem to have totally disappeared from his game.

That said, a win is a win, and that makes four in a row Page, who concludes his UFC contract with a 26-3 overall record. While he remains a big name, it's hard to imagine the promotion resigning him after his dreadful performances in the Octagon, especially given that he's almost 40. Expect to see him fighting for Jake Paul or Scott Coker next year.

As for Ruziboev, that marks the end of a three-fight streak. He's now 37-10-2 overall.

Up next, former Bellator star Michael "Venom" Page (25-3) could make what turns out to be his final walk to the Octagon, as he concludes his current UFC contract against Nursulton Ruziboev (37-9-2). 

Page has struggled greatly to find viable opponents in the Octagon, but has only lost to Ian Machado Garry since joining the UFC roster, and has since won three-straight fights at middleweight and welterweight. At his best, he's one of the most electrifying strikers in MMA—even at 39. 

He will have his hands full with Ruziboev in this middleweight contest. The rangy Uzbek fighter has also won three straight, and has a proven track record of finishing fights on the feet and on the mat. 

This is probably the second biggest fight on the bill, and it is going to be tense for as long as it lasts. Here we go. 

Ukraine's Daniil Donchenko is still unbeaten in the UFC, having picked up a fourth Octagon victory with a decision defeat of Punahele Soriano in Paris. It was not a exactly blowout, but the Ukrainian had a huge first round, and managed to control enough of the remaining rounds to sway the judges.

In victory, he's now 15-2, and quickly closing in on a date with a ranked opponent.

Soriano, meanwhile, is going to be pretty disappointed in this outcome, as it marks the end of a four-fight streak at welterweight. He's now 13-5 overall.

At long last, we finally have a main event for UFC 332, which goes down in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 3—less than a month from now.

The card will be headlined by a fight between Natalia Silva and Wang Cong. The vacant women's flyweight title will be on the line, as long-time champion Valentina Shevchenko is currently sidelined with an injury, and has vacated the throne as a result. The two fighters are ranked No. 1 and No. 8 in their division respectively.

The card will be co-headlined by a Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Payton Talbott bantamweight clash. King Green will also be in action against Esteban Ribovics at lightweight.

Notably, the card will also feature the UFC debut of former KSW and ONE Championship contender Roberto Soldic. He'll fight Khaos Williams. That's a huge signing for the promotion. He has been one of the top fighters outside the UFC for years.

It's now time for what is surprisingly the only welterweight fight on this Paris card, which will pit visiting American Punahele Soriano (13-4) against Daniil Donchenko (14-2), who is in town from Ukraine. 

After a tough 4-3 run in the UFC middleweight division, Soriano has found new life as a welterweight, having won four straight fights. In his most recent appearance, he beat Ramiz Brahimaj by decision. 

Donchenko, a recent Ultimate Fighter winner, is off to a hot start in the UFC, with wins in his first three fights. Most recently, he picked up a thunderous knockout of Theodor Berggren. 

This should be a fun one. 

Kurtis Campbell put on a grappling clinic in his main card featherweight fight with Trevor Peek, taking his opponent down 13 times—a new record for the featherweight division. He had to work hard for the finish, as Peek's defense was initially quite effective, but eventually he locked up a rear-naked choke in round 3, and got the tap.

With the win, Campbell rebounds from a loss to Danny Silva in his UFC debut. He's now 9-1 as a pro, and clearly a talented young fighter who could make some waves in the UFC. At 24 years old, he's certainly got time.

For Peek, that's unfortunately three losses in a row. Now 9-4 overall, he has not won a fight since 2023. Despite being quite entertaining, it's hard to imagine the UFC keeping him around with so many new fighters being signed through Contender Series.

We'll stay in the featherweight division for our next fight, as England's Kurtis Campbell (8-1) takes on visiting American Trevor Peek (9-3). 

Campbell, a former FCC champ, earned his UFC contract with an impressive knockout of Demba Seck on Contender Series last year. However, he then suffered a tough knockout loss to Danny Silva in his UFC debut. He'll be looking to erase that memory with a big win in Paris. 

Peek will be even more desperate to get into the win column. He's returning from a serious knee injury, and has not fought since back-to-back decision losses to Yanal Ashmouz and Charlie Campbell in 2024.

As the old cliche goes, let's see who wants it more.

Losene Keita kicked off the Paris main card with in incredible fashion, snuffing his opponent Muhammad Naimov with a cracking right hand in round one. No follow-up strikes were required. It was over, and he knew it.

In fact, he was so confident the fight was over that he immediately left the Octagon, grabbed a seat in the crowd, and began applauding his own performance.

Not kidding.

This star-making victory separates Keita from a disappointing decision loss to Nathaniel Wood in his UFC debut. He now sports a very impressive 17-2 overall record, and certainly seems to have a very bright future in the featherweight division.

For Naimov, that's now two knockout losses in a row, which could conceivably spell the end of his time in the UFC for now. Whatever the case, he's now 13-5 overall, and in desperate need of a big victory next time he fights.

It's time for the UFC Fight Night: Hooker vs. Parnasse main card in Paris.

The first bout of the main card will pit Belgium-based Guinean Losene Keita (16-2) against Tajikistan's Muhammad Naimov (13-4). They will meet at featherweight. 

Keita made his UFC debut in March following an impressive run in Europe's OKTAGON promotion. The debut didn't go his way, as he lost a decision to Nathaniel Wood, so he will definitely be looking to make a loud statement at Naimov's expense in Paris.

Naimov is now seven fights into his UFC career. Unfortunately, after impressive wins in his first three appearances, he's now 2-2 in his last four, having most recently been knocked out by Mairon Santos. 

Needless to say, both fighters have a lot to prove in the cage.

Felipe Lima vs. Morgan Charriere was one-way traffic.

Lima was in total control of the fight from beginning to end, relying on a significant speed advantage and a far smarter approach to striking than his French opponent. By the time three rounds were up, there was no question the unanimous decision was his.

As commentator Jon Gooden put it at the end of the fight: "That is how you do MMA striking."

With the win, Lima rebounds from a loss to Payton Talbott down at bantamweight. He's now 15-2 overall.

Charriere, meanwhile, is now on the first two-fight skid of his UFC career, after alternating wins and losses through his first six fights. He's definitely a fun fighter to watch, but at this point, his future in the Octagon looks a bit bleak. He's now 21-13-1 overall.

It's now time for our final fight of the undercard, and it should be a good one. 

This one will be contested at featherweight, where France's Morgan Charriere (21-12-1) will take on visiting Brazilian Felipe Lima (14-2). 

Charriere, a former Cage Warriors standout, has been the definition of hot and cold in the UFC, alternating wins and losses in his first six Octagon appearances. His most recent fight, which occurred last December, was a knockout loss at the hands of Melquizael Costa. He'll definitely be looking back in the win column in Paris, and if the pattern through his first six UFC fights is any indication, he will.

Lima, of course, will be looking to break that pattern. The Brazilian has not fought since over a year, when he lost a decision to Payton Talbott at bantamweight, and is undoubtedly eager to get back to winning ways at Charriere's expense. 

Mario Pinto got the win he sought in his heavyweight showdown with Ryan Spann, but it sure didn't come easy, as he survived a brutal first-round knockdown before finishing his flagging opponent in with ground strikes in round two.

The TKO victory, which was sorely needed after a somewhat slow decision win last time out, pushes Pinto to 14-0 overall, and 4-0 in the UFC. More importantly, it reaffirms his status as one of the most compelling young contenders in the division right now, alongside the likes of Josh Hokit, Gable Steveson, Brando Pericic and Valter Walker.

For Spann, the defeat marks the end of a two fight-streak. He's now 24-12 overall.

Next up, we'll head to the heavyweight division. In one corner, we'll have Portuguese giant Mario Pinto (12-0). In the other, we'll have Ryan Spann (24-11), who made the trip to Paris from Texas. 

Pinto is one of several exciting new arrivals in the UFC heavyweight division, and is now 3-0 in the promotion, most recently beating Felipe Franco by decision. 

Spann, a former light heavyweight, has seemingly found new life at heavyweight, having most recently choked out Lukasz Brzeski and knocked out BJJ legend Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida. 

Both guys are very tall, and very powerful. Don't blink in this one. 

Modestas Bukauskas got absolutely mauled in the first round of his light heavyweight fight with France's Oumar Sy. In one of the best comebacks of the year so far, he miraculously managed to turn things around in round two, when he floored his fatiguing opponent with a knee, and finished him off with a strafing of ground strikes.

The win puts Bukauskas on a two-fight streak, and points him right in the direction of his division's rankings. He's now 21-7 overall.

In defeat, Sy falls onto a two-fight skid. His overall record, meanwhile, is now 12-3. He will want to work on his cardio going forward, because it did not seem to take much for him to start falling apart in the Octagon.

Up next we've got a clash between two fairly experienced light heavyweights, as France's Oumar Sy (12-2) takes on Lithuania's Modestas Bukauskas (20-7).

Sy is now five fights into his UFC career, and has had mixed results, going 3-2 in that span. In his latest fight, he was quickly choked out by Ion Cutelaba. 

Bukauskas has been around the UFC quite a bit longer, and after some tough early results, has now won five of his last six fights. In his most recent appearance, he beat Christian Edwards by decision. 

It's unlikely the winner of this one will get a ranked opponent, but they will definitely take a big step up the light heavyweight ladder. 

Joe Martinez is done with his introductions. Here we go. 

The odds were stacked against Pavel Andrusca in his UFC debut.

He took the fight on short notice, a weight class higher than he usually competes, against an opponent with a ton of high-level experience in Nathaniel Wood.

Despite all that, he found a way to win, relying on sizzling striking combinations, well-timed takedowns, submission attempts, and one heck of a chin to score a unanimous decision victory in Paris.

By the time it was over, Wood was bloodied, and clearly, a little surprised.

It is difficult to overstate how impressive this performance was from the Moldovan. He showed skills in nearly every facet of the game, and plenty of fight IQ and toughness too. Whether he stays put at featherweight or heads back down to bantamweight, he's definitely a prospect to keep an eye on.

He's now 9-0 overall. Wood, meanwhile, slips to 23-7, and sees a four-fight win streak crumble.

Next up, we've got a compelling clash at featherweight, where English veteran Nathaniel Wood (23-6) will take on Pavel Andrusca (8-0) of Moldova. 

Wood has been extremely successful in the UFC, particularly since moving up to featherweight, where he is now riding four straight wins against high-quality opposition. The only point against the Englishman is his infamously low finish rate, which he will surely be looking to remedy in Paris. 

That will probably not be easy against Andrusca, who will be making his UFC debut on short-notice, with wins in his first eight pro fights, including six knockouts. 

The last two fights were a little slow. Expect this one to buck that trend.

The streak had to end somewhere.

After three straight wins to start the card, the French fighters on the lineup finally got their first taste of defeat thanks to Spain's Fabia Sintes, who defeated Michael Aljarouj at flyweight on the undercard. The first round of the fight was actually quite close, but the Spaniard took complete control with his grappling in round two, and continued to threaten his opponent with submission attempts and ground and pound through round three. Aljarouj rallied a bit toward the end of the final round, but by then, it was too late.

With the win, Sintes is 12-3 overall, and 1-0 in the UFC. Time will tell how far he can go in the flyweight division, which is currently packed with dangerous talent.

Aljarouj is now 13-4.

It's now time for our lone flyweight bout of this Paris card, which will pit France's Michael Aljarouj (13-3) against Fabia Sintes (11-3), from Spain. 

Aljarouj will be making his UFC debut following a brief reign as Hexagone MMA flyweight champion. 

Sintes is also coming off a championship reign in his home country, having held flyweight gold in Spanish promotion WOW before signing with the UFC.

Both men will surely be looking to make a big splash here, and Sintes will have the opportunity to be the first person to beat a French fighter on the card.

Nora Cornolle successfully made it three wins in three fights for the French team, defeating Poland's Klaudia Sygula by unanimous decision at bantamweight.

Unfortunately, the fight itself was pretty underwhelming, which was a bit to disappointing after the first fights of the card produced so much action.

Nonetheless, it was an important win for Cornolle, who rebounds from back-to-back losses to Joselyne Edwards and Karol Rosa in victory. She's now 10-4 overall.

Sygula falls to 8-3 in defeat.

Onto the next one!

Up next, the card's French contingent will look to improve to to 3-0.

The responsibility will fall to Frenchwoman Nora Cornolle (9-4), who will take on Poland's Klaudia Sygula (8-2) at bantamweight.

Cornolle is six fights into her UFC career, but has recently fallen on hard times, with losses in three of her last four appearances; most recently a submission defeat at the hands of Joselyne Edwards. 

Sygula, on the other hand, has gone 2-1 in her first three UFC fights, winning her last two by decision. 

Let's get to it. 

Luis Felipe Dias came out guns blazing in his middleweight fight with Matthieu Duclos, and had some success with a few lunging combinations that caught his opponent pretty clean.

He eventually paid for his aggression.

As the round wore down, Duclos folded his oncoming opponent with a blistering left hand, one so slick it was easy to miss in real time. Seconds later, he was finishing things off with ground and pound, and the French crowd was once again going wild.

With the win, Duclos is 11-3 overall, and 1-0 in the UFC. Dias now sits at 17-6 overall, with a 1-1 UFC mark.

After a vicious victory from Delphine Benouaich, it's now time for our second fight of the night.

This one will be France vs. Brazil in the middleweight division, as local talent Matthieu Duclos (10-3) takes on Luis Felipe Dias (17-5). 

Duclos, who came up short on Contender Series in 2024, will be making his long-awaited UFC debut following an impressive run in French promotion Hexegone. 

Dias earned his UFC contract with a win on Contender Series last October, and this past May, made an impressive Octagon debut with a knockout of Yi Sak Lee. 

Both guys have a lot of momentum right now. Something's got to give. 

Delphine Benouaich could not have made more of a splash in her UFC debut.

After a thrilling firefight with Sofia Montenegro through round one, she sniped her opponent with a pinpoint right hand in round two. As soon as Montenegro hit the ground, Benouaich pounced. First, she bloodied her opponent with a storm of punches and elbows—to the point that commentator John Gooden compared the Octagon to a Quentin Tarantino movie. Then, she finished her off with a rear-naked choke. Right to sleep.

With the win, Benouaich is now 8-2 overall, and 1-0 in the UFC. Safe to say she is a welcome addition to the flyweight division. There are a ton of exciting fights to be made for her going forward.

Montenegro falls to 6-3 in defeat, and will have to wait for her first UFC win.

The first bout of the night will be contested in the strawweight division, as France's own Delphine Benouaich (7-2) takes on Sofia Montenegro (6-2) of Argentina. 

Benouaich was on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter, and made a solid impression, but ultimately lost a decision to Tina Black in the semifinals. 

Montenegro last fought on Contender Series almost a year ago, losing a decision to Jeisla Chaves. 

Both women will be looking to make a splash in their UFC debuts, but the pressure is definitely on Benouaich as the local hero. 

They're both in the cage. Let's get this started. 

The UFC Fight Night: Hooker vs. Parnasse prelims are scheduled to kick off in about 10 minutes.

There are 14 fights on the docket, and some of them look like they could be very good.

Here's hoping this card produces the same kind of action as the UFC's recent stops in Shanghai and Belgrade.