Hooker On Why He Took Parnasse Fight
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Dan Hooker says he took the Salahdine Parnasse fight because no one else in the lightweight rankings would risk facing an unranked UFC newcomer.
The veteran welcomes Parnasse to the Octagon in Saturday's UFC Paris main event, per MMA Junkie, with the former two-division KSW champion entering on a five-fight win streak. Hooker is coming off back-to-back losses to top-ranked lightweights Arman Tsarukyan and Benoit St. Denis.
🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC Fight Night: Hooker vs Parnasse on Ticketmaster →
Hooker Explains UFC Paris Risk
Speaking to Submission Radio, Hooker said the same dynamic played out when he faced Michael Chandler in his UFC debut. "It's the same thing with this Parnasse guy," he said, per MMA Junkie. "It'll be the same thing with Usman. No one else will take the fight. You think Ilia Topuria's going to take that risk of fighting an unranked non-UFC fighter? No one else wants to take the risk. It's the same reason why they're paying me money to fight Parnasse is because none of these other guys in the division want to risk it for the biscuit."
Parnasse told reporters at UFC Paris media day that Hooker represents the ideal stylistic matchup for his promotional debut, according to Sherdog. The French fighter praised Hooker's explosive approach and predicted both men would deliver an entertaining bout. Parnasse holds a 23-2 record and last competed on Most Valuable Promotions' inaugural mixed martial arts card.
🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC Fight Night: Hooker vs Parnasse on Ticketmaster →
Hooker also mentioned a potential clash with Usman Nurmagomedov, saying the chance to spoil a legacy fighter's debut in his hometown gives him a fuzzy feeling. UFC Paris takes place Sept. 5 at Accor Arena.
Photo: ZACK / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Original reporting:
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