MMA
Salahdine Parnasse: Usman Nurmagomedov fight ‘a possibility’ with UFC Paris win
Published
6 hours agoon
Salahdine Parnasse has big plans for his fighting career beginning with his octagon debut this Saturday.
The former KSW two-division champion, and one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, headlines UFC Paris in his first promotional bout against Dan Hooker in this weekend's headliner. “Lion of Atlas†enters the bout on a five-fight win streak.
In his most recent bout, Parnasse made his U.S. debut, and absolutely destroyed Kenneth Cross with a first-round knockout at the Rousey vs. Carano card in May, which led to the UFC signing the highly touted free agent. One of the big questions after Parnasse's recent victory was, ‘What would happen in a fight with Usman Nurmagomedov?' Now that Nurmagomedov is a free agent, Parnasse was asked about a potential matchup.
“I think it's a possibility for sure, we'll see,†Parnasse told MMA Fighting.
Parnasse had pretty much every major promotion make him an offer during his free agency, but it was a no-brainer for him to sign with the UFC — especially getting an automatic main event against the most experienced opponent of his career, and to headline in front of his home country.
“It was amazing,†Parnasse said. “It was great news for me and I just wanted to keep moving forward, so it was awesome. I was super excited. I mean, Dan Hooker is a guy that has fought everyone. He's a guy that's super experienced. He's fought [Islam] Makhachev, he's fought everyone in this division, so I was very excited to face him. …
“I think it's the perfect opponent.â€
Hooker enters the bout as a massive underdog, as high as +440 in some books, as a lot of pundits see this as a showcase bout for Parnasse.
Should Parnasse pick up a victory over a game and gritty opponent like Hooker in highlight-reel fashion, it would open a lot of doors to big fights in the star-driven lightweight division. As of now, Parnasse is solely focused on Saturday.
“As of right now, this moment, I don't have any names in my mind,†Parnasse said. “So we'll have to see when I win on Saturday.â€
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MMA
Fares Ziam plans to shift to the U.S. to train with Justin Gaethje’s team
Published
33 minutes agoon
September 4, 2026
Ziam plans to move to the United States to develop his
game.
Ziam is scheduled to fight fellow Frenchman Alex Sola in the
co-main event of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship's event in France on Sept. 5. He
did most of his camp in Denver under Justin
Gaethje's head coach, Trevor Wittman, and eventually wants to
move stateside.
Fares Ziam plans to move his family to Denver to develop his
UFC career
Ziam says that while he didn't previously have a head coach, he
believes he needs one at the highest level. He eventually plans to
move with his family to Denver to train under Wittman, whom he
considers the best head coach for himself.
“My plan is to move with my family to the U.S. to be in Denver,â€
Ziam told MMA Junkie. “Two to three years in Denver and forget. For
me, it's important to evolve in this game, to be focused. Before, I
didn't get any head coach; I had a team around me. But at this
level, we need a head coach, a guy who is looking out for you. For
me, Trevor is the best for me.â€
Ziam first met Wittman while helping Gaethje as a sparring partner
for his win over Paddy
Pimblett earlier this year. When he asked their common manager,
Ali Abdelaziz, about training with Gaethje, Abdelaziz said that
Wittman doesn't accept everybody. However, Wittman accepted Ziam as
he liked what he saw during Gaethje's camp for the Pimblett
fight.
“I asked my manager, Ali, ‘What do you think if I go train with
Justin?' He said, ‘It's a very good idea, but Trevor doesn't take
just anyone,'†Ziam added. “But after me and him had a good
feeling, he said I am a good person. Because he saw something in
me, he took me in this gym.â€
Ziam looks to return to winning ways at
UFC Paris.
Fares Ziam
explains how training under Trevor Wittman came together, what he's
learned, and what it's been like training with Justin
Gaethje 👊 (via @Farah_Hannoun)
pic.twitter.com/L7cRJoCAJx— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie)
September 3, 2026
MMA
Movsar Evloev takes aim at women’s MMA: ‘It’s so hard’ to watch
Published
3 hours agoon
September 4, 2026
Evloev is unimpressed with women's mixed martial arts.
Evloev recently revealed that he finds it hard to watch women's
MMA. The
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight claims to have
only ever enjoyed one women's MMA bout and is curious about the
viewership numbers an all-women promotion would garner.
UFC 333 title challenger Movsar Evloev questions the appeal of
women's MMA
Evloev was impressed with Rose
Namajunas' title defense against Joanna
Jedrzejczyk in their rematch at UFC
223 in 2018. However, every other bout is a challenging viewing
experience, according to the unbeaten Russian. He jokes that the
UFC should start a separate league for women's MMA and check its
viewership.
“I don't watch women's fights,†Evloev told MMA Junkie. “I can't
watch; it's so hard. One fight I watched and liked was [Joanna]
Jedrzejczyk and [Rose] Namajunas, the second one… I don't watch a
lot of fights, but all the fights I watched of women weren't good.
Maybe they need a separate UFC just for women. And we will see who
watches that.â€
Many elite male fighters have criticized women's MMA over the
years. Khabib
Nurmagomedov has said that women don't belong in the brutal
sport, barring some exceptional few like the legendary Amanda
Nunes and Valentina
Shevchenko. Meanwhile, Sean
Strickland, who doesn't like women's sports in general,
believes an average man can beat Nunes.
Evloev (20-0) has finally earned his long-overdue featherweight
title shot against Alexander
Volkanovski (28-4). He challenges Volkanovski for the title at
UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
While Evloev criticizes women's MMA because of inaction, he has
also drawn backlash for the lack of a finish in his UFC career.
MMA
How to watch UFC Paris: Start time, live stream & fight card
Published
5 hours agoon
September 4, 2026
Tommy Hitman Hearns Reflects on His Powerful Knockout Victory Over Barkley
Fares Ziam plans to shift to the U.S. to train with Justin Gaethje’s team
Movsar Evloev takes aim at women’s MMA: ‘It’s so hard’ to watch
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