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€
Raoni
Barcelos says medical testing has yet to determine why he lost
consciousness during his
Ultimate Fighting Championship headliner against Raul Rosas
Jr.
Barcelos faced Rosas Jr. in the main event of
UFC Vegas 121 last month. The Brazilian led on the judges'
scorecards entering the fifth round but lost consciousness during a
grappling exchange against the fence. Rosas Jr. was awarded a
technical knockout victory, and the 39-year-old Barcelos was
transported to a Level 1 trauma center.
Raoni Barcelos undergoes medical tests after losing
consciousness against Raul Rosas Jr. at UFC Vegas 121
Barcelos said he is undergoing tests in Las Vegas to determine what
happened. He hopes to continue fighting but has not ruled out
retirement.
“Unfortunately, we don't know what happened,†Barcelos told MMA
Fighting. “It was a sudden illness. I fell ill and I felt my whole
body really starting to go numb. After that, I don't remember
anything. I only remember [arriving] in the ambulance, asking my
father what happened, and him trying to explain it as best as he
could. It really was an unfortunate [circumstance]. I got sick and
to this day we still don't understand. I'm undergoing a battery of
tests here in [Las] Vegas. I had another on Monday and we're
waiting for a good result. The doctor hasn't released the results
yet and everything is being kept confidential. But I feel better
every day.â€
Barcelos (22-6) entered the bout on a five-fight winning streak. He
has competed in the UFC since 2018, compiling an 11-5 promotional
record with victories over Said
Nurmagomedov, Cody
Garbrandt and Payton
Talbott.
Raoni
Barcelos is still waiting for a diagnosis after his mysterious
health scare: “We don't know what happened. It was a sudden
illness. I fell ill, and I felt my whole body really starting to go
numb. After that, I don't remember anything.” (🎥 @guicruzzz)
https://t.co/dVJzTkkBkl
Darren Till gets honest about his performance in win over Yoel Romero
Jasmine Jasudavicius is looking to cement herself as a title contender at UFC Edmonton.
Jasudavicius is set to take on Erin Blanchfield in the co-main event of UFC Edmonton. Jasudavicius enters the bout as a +255 underdog while the American is a -350 favorite on FanDuel. The fight was supposed to happen at UFC 330 in August, but an injury to Blanchfield delayed it to August. Although the Canadian was frustrated to have the fight postponed, she is ecstatic for it to be taking place in Edmonton now.
“That is exactly it. It was like two weeks out that I heard it was being moved,†Jasudavicius said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “Initially, I was so frustrated because I just put in a whole camp. I was ready, my weight was good, and I was firing on all cylinders. It got moved, and at least we are fighting in Canada now. This works out even better.â€
With extra time, Jasudavicius said she did take some time off to avoid burnout. But she also feels like the extra time will only help her, as she knows Blanchfield is one of the best in the world.
“She's talented; she's one of the top fighters in the world. I won't be talking too much shit. She's skilled, but I know how skilled I am, and I am ready to test myself against the best girls in the world,†Jasudavicius said.
Jasmine Jasudavicius hopeful to earn title shot at UFC Edmonton
Although Jasudavicius is an underdog, she has full confidence in her skillset. She believes she is better on the feet. So, she expects Blanchfield to try and wrestle her a ton, especially once she lands a couple of punches.
If Jasudavicius can turn Blanchfield into just a wrestler, she is confident she will be able to pull off the upset win at UFC Edmonton.
“I'm not too sure. I've watched all of her fights, and it's not like she's going to the wrestling right away; she is comfortable with striking. But I do think once she feels these hands, she will be shooting a little bit more. … My hand will be raised at the end of the night,†Jasudavicius said.
If Jasudavicius gets her hand raised, she believes it will cement her as a title contender at flyweight. And, it would set up a rematch with Natalia Silva, which the Canadian would be thrilled to get the chance to not only avenge her loss, but to take the belt off her.
“It would mean a lot; it's a big milestone,†Jasudavicius concluded. “Just getting into the UFC is a big deal; getting 10 fights in the UFC is a big deal; to get 10 wins is another feather in my cap. … That would be my dream. She gave me the lost which hurt, so if I can take the belt off her, it would fulfill me. I show well, say I finish Blanchfield, it would be me in the talks to get a title shot.â€
Do you think Jasmine Jasudavicius will beat Erin Blanchfield at UFC Edmonton?
I know a lot of folks are looking ahead to UFC 333 next weekend, but up here in CANADA we're stoked for UFC Edmonton this Saturday, headlined by Joaquin Buckley vs. Mike Malott.
OK, “stoked†might be overselling it a tad, but this card is not for you hosers! It's Canada vs. The World, with a ton of pressure on Malott to prove he's the real deal after being handed a top-10 opponent in Buckley. Time to deliver.