The former two-division KSW champion showed why he was a prized signing as he needed a little more than half a round to score a vicious knockout over longtime lightweight contender Dan Hooker in the UFC Paris main event.

In his post-fight interview, Parnasse celebrated by calling for a fight with Max Holloway.

“I'm ready for the next fight, top 5,†Parnasse said via a French translator. “My dream fight is Max Holloway. Max Holloway is the legend. Big respect, Max Holloway, my dream fight is Max Holloway. … I'm ready for Max Holloway or top 5, UFC, I'm ready.â€

Holloway is coming off of a win over longtime rival Conor McGregor at UFC 329, though the bout was widely considered a disappointment due to McGregor suffering a fight-ending knee injury that led to a stoppage in just 69 seconds. “Blessed†appears to be biding his time as the top names in the lightweight division are sorted, so his schedule might not line up with Parnasse's in the near future.

“He's a very well-conditioned guy,†Parnasse said. “He was the champion, ‘BMF' champion. It's always been a dream just to see who's better conditioned, me or him.â€

Parnasse has now won six straight fights and 11 of his past 12, and he's no stranger to marquee matchups having competed in multiple championship bouts at 155 and 145 pounds during a successful stint with KSW. Now that he's in a new promotion, his goal remains the same.

“I'm going after the belt,†Parnasse said. “I want to go step by step and keep moving up the division and I want to be the best in the world.â€

Asked for a timetable for a title fight, Parnasse offered a guess.

“We'll see, I hope maybe my third fight,†Parnasse said. “We'll see.â€

Page got the job done with a unanimous decision victory, but he also only landed 12 significant strikes across three rounds. He didn't put Ruziboev down one time during the 15-minute fight, and the crowd in Paris was anything but satisfied with his performance. Considering he was competing on the final fight his current UFC contract, Page had to know the pressure was ratcheted up for his latest performance and he acknowledged afterwards that he didn't live up to his own expectations.

“The frustrating thing is I feel great,†Page said in a post-fight interview with UFC. “Sometimes, I haven't done enough and the results show that I haven't done enough. I probably need to push myself a little bit more, take a few more risks. Sometimes I want it to be too clean, too just precise. I just know to myself, I know there's more and it's frustrating as I get to the cage, I feel like I'm holding back.

“I want to give more. The fans deserve more, the UFC deserves more. I know I can give more. I feel like I'm almost there.â€

Being “almost there†as Page turned 39 years old back in April is a dubious distinction for a fighter who built his reputation on delivering dazzling knockouts and showcasing the kind of creativity that made him one of the most exciting fighters in the world.

But through six UFC fights thus far, Page has failed to earn a single finish, and he's faced far more criticism for his performances than any kind of praise despite putting together a 5-1 record.

“I'm going to have to doctor my style a little bit more,†Page said. “Maybe adapt it so people feel more comfortable coming forward and that also might make me slightly less dangerous but maybe over volume, I'll still get it. I've got to go back to the drawing board.

“I don't know the exact answer. Go back to the drawing board, test it out when I'm sparring and see what happens.â€

With his UFC contract completed, Page now has to sit down with the matchmakers and executives at the promotion and find out if they want him back or not.

At his best, Page is absolutely a top 15 fighter but his entertainment value has plummeted with his recent performances. Page isn't oblivious to the boos from the crowd and he knows he has to do a lot more in his fights if he wants bigger and better opportunities.

“I'll sit down with the UFC and have an honest conversation,†Page said. “Look, I know I can do better. I'm aspiring to do better. Give me better opponents and have faith I can go deliver something special for the crowd.â€

Whether or not the UFC believes what Page is selling is a whole other story and only time will tell if the organization makes him an offer for a new deal or the two sides just part ways and “MVP†becomes a free agent heading into 2027.

On Saturday, Parnasse made his long-awaited UFC debut and gave the French fans something to cheer about, running through Hooker with relative ease in the first round. How impressive was Parnasse's performance and where does he go next?

Join MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee as they break down what comes next for Parnasse and Hooker, after UFC Paris. Additionally, Mike and AK dive into the rest of the action from the UFC's latest trip to the City of Light, discuss the UFC 332 main event announcement and what it means for Valentina Shevchenko, chat about Katie Taylor's retirement fight in Ireland, answer viewer questions, and more.

Watch the UFC Paris post-fight show above, or an audio-only version of the show can also be streamed below and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts.