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Dan Hooker explains why he's taken a 'risk' by fighting against Salahdine Parnasse

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2 months ago

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Dan Hooker explains why he's taken a 'risk' by fighting against Salahdine Parnasse
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UFC veteran Dan Hooker has explained why he's open to taking risky fights ahead of his UFC Paris main event against Salahdine Parnasse.

This weekend at UFC Paris, Dan Hooker will attempt to make a real statement when he welcomes newcomer Salahdine Parnasse to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. ‘Hangman' has been in there against some of the best of his generation, and now he's ready to try to prove that he still belongs near the top of the lightweight division.

RELATED: Dan Hooker details ‘death threats' received from Salahdine Parnasse's fans since UFC Paris announcement

Parnasse, of course, will view a Dan Hooker fight as an excellent way to immediately announce himself as a legitimate contender at 155 pounds. Whether or not that happens, though, depends entirely on how he can handle the pressure of the spotlight.

In a recent interview, Hooker spoke about his thought process behind taking risky fights.

Dan Hooker talks taking risky fights

“It's the same thing as when I fought Chandler. It's the same thing with this Parnasse guy,†Hooker told Submission Radio. “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 I was the guy to fight Chandler. 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. So they call up Dan Hooker, they offer him a bit of danger money, and he welcomes these boys to the big leagues.â€

Hooker then specifically spoke about a possible showdown with Usman Nurmagomedov.

“That would be the exciting thing for me with that fight is you would get another chance to step in there and go up against a legacy,†Hooker said. “Going to a guy's hometown and ruining his debut, that puts a little fuzzy feeling in my stomach.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

What is your favorite memory from Dan Hooker's mixed martial arts career thus far? Let us know in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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UFC Vegas 123: 'Moicano vs. Nolan' Live Results and Highlights

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4 hours ago

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October 31, 2026

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UFC Vegas 123: 'Moicano vs. Nolan' Live Results and Highlights
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The fights return to the Apex for tonight's UFC Vegas 123 event, a 12-bout fight card headlined by Renato Moicano vs. Tom Nolan.

Moicano (21-7-1 MMA) will be returning to action for the first time since submitting Chris Duncan this past April with a face crank. That triumph snapped a two-fight losing skid for ‘Money', who had previously dropped fights to Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev (see that here). The Brazilian has gone 5-2 over his past seven fights overall.

Meanwhile, Tom Nolan (11-1 MMA) will enter the Octagon sporting a five-fight winning streak, with his most recent victory coming over Fares Ziam this past June. ‘Big Train' suffered his lone career loss back in January of 2024, when he was TKO'd by Nikolas Motta in his promotional debut.

UFC Vegas 123 is co-headlined by a welterweight bout featuring Randy Brown taking on Jacobe Smith.

Image Credit: Randy Brown's Instagram

Brown (20-8 MMA) will enter the Octagon with hopes of snapping a two-fight losing skid, this after suffering back-to-back losses against Gabriel Bonfim and Kevin Holland respectively. Prior to those setbacks, ‘Rude Boy' was coming off a second-round knockout victory over Nicolas Darby in April of 2025.

Meanwhile, Jacobe Smith (13-0 MMA) will be making a quick turnaround, this after earning a first-round TKO victory over Bruce Whitehead just four weeks ago at UFC 332 (see that here).

Also featured on tonight's UFC Vegas 132 main card is a welterweight bout between Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani and Farman Hasanov.

Lebosnoyani (11-2 MMA) will enter the contest on a six-fight winning streak, with his most recent victory coming over Seok Hyeon Ko this past July. ‘Mufasa' has gone 2-0 since making his Octagon debut back in February.

Meanwhile, Farman Hasanov (5-0) made his promotional debut back in June at UFC Baku, where he kept his perfect record in check with a unanimous decision win over Eric Nolan. ‘The Lion' has earned stoppage wins in three of his five professional fights.

Get all of tonight's live results and highlights below (refresh for updates):

UFC Vegas 123 Main Card (8pm EST on Paramount+)

155 lbs: Renato Moicano vs. Tom Nolan – Nolan def. Moicano via TKO (ground and pound) at of Round 3

170 lbs: Randy Brown vs. Jacobe Smith – Smith def. Brown by unanimous decision (30-26 x3)

125 lbs: Ode' Osbourne vs. Cody Durden – Durden def. Osbourne by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

135 lbs: Yana Santos vs. Luana Santos – Luana Santos def. Yana Santos by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

170 lbs: Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani vs. Farman Hasanov – Lebosnoyani def. Hasanov via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 2:11 of Round 3

UFC Vegas 123 Prelims (5pm EST on Paramount+)

145 lbs: Francis Marshall vs. Dakota Hope –

170 lbs: Rodrigo Sezinando vs. Theodor Berggren – Sezinando def. Berggren via TKO (cut) at 5:00 of Round 2

145 lbs: Julian Erosa vs. Jeong Yeong Lee – Erosa def. Lee via KO (punches) at 1:31 of Round 1

185 lbs: Zachary Reese vs. Mickey Gall – Reese def. Gall by unanimous decision (29-27 x3)

185 lbs: Nick Klein vs. Joseph Kropschot – Kropschot def. Klein via submission (armbar) at 1:25 of Round 2

115 lbs: Talita Alencar vs. Piera Rodriguez – Rodriguez def. Alencar by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

125 lbs: Lucia Szabova vs. Tainara Lisboa – Szabova def. Lisboa via TKO (punches) at 3:20 of Round 3

Who are you picking to emerge victorious in tonight's lightweight main event between Renato Moicano and Tom Nolan? Share your predictions in the comment section Penn Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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16-0 Farid Basharat confirms UFC exit after seven straight wins

Published

14 hours ago

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October 31, 2026

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16-0 Farid Basharat confirms UFC exit after seven straight wins
Farid
Basharat has addressed his departure from the
Ultimate Fighting Championship in a statement on social
media.

Basharat (16-0) completed his contract with a victory over John Garza
in July and wasn't offered a new deal despite going unbeaten in the
promotion. In his statement, Basharat reflected on his UFC tenure
and questioned the organization's direction.

Farid Basharat says the UFC never offered a new contract after
his unbeaten seven-fight run

Basharat went 7-0 in the UFC after earning a contract on
Dana White's Contender Series, with six of those victories
coming by decision. He confirmed his departure on Instagram, saying
he competed under unfavorable circumstances and never declined a
fight.

“The news is confirmed, I am no longer with the UFC,†Basharat
wrote on Instagram. “I've had an incredibly successful time in the
organization. I'm proud and happy with what I've accomplished
inside the Octagon. I leave with a stainless record. Holding the
longest active win streak in my weight division and the fourth
longest in the entire UFC. I feel I'm the best bantamweight in the
world. I always turned up and fought regardless of injuries and
weight deficits. And I always asked for the toughest opponent to
get me closer to the title.â€

While grateful for his time with the promotion and its staff,
Basharat questioned the UFC's direction and said he had not
received a contract offer since his last bout.

“But my departure clearly has nothing to do with my fighting
capabilities,†Basharat added. “Unfortunately, the organization
just isn't what it used to be. They're heading in a different
direction from what we all grew up loving. I want to clarify that
since my last fight, I was never offered a contract or an opponent;
I waited, but it never came. I've certainly never declined a fight
during my whole tenure.â€

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MMA

Canelo vs. Mbilli video: Bek Nurmaganbet knocks out Marcos Vazquez in violent fashion

Published

15 hours ago

on

October 31, 2026

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Canelo vs. Mbilli video: Bek Nurmaganbet knocks out Marcos Vazquez in violent fashion

Bek Nurmaganbet Bek Nurmaganbet certainly packs a punch.

Nurmaganbet knocked out Marcos Vazquez with a devasting combo at the 2:57 mark of the first round on the Canelo vs. Mbilli undercard at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday afternoon.

For Nurmaganbet, it was another impressive showing. He also knocked down Vazquez earlier in the first round before the impressive finishing sequence.

With the win, Nurmaganbet improves to 16-0 with the 14th knockout of his career. He has knocked out his past 12 opponents.

Vazquez drops to 21-4-1 with the defeat. He has lost four of his past five fights.

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