Dan Hooker intends to spoil Salahdine Parnasse’s big night at UFC Paris. “The Hangman” is extremely confident ahead of Saturday’s main event and predicts that for the former two-time KSW champion, this will be his first—and last—appearance in a UFC main event.
Dan Hooker will face Salahdine Parnasse, who is making his UFC debut, in Saturday’s main event at UFC Paris. The matchup has generated a lot of interest, although the New Zealander himself admitted that when he received the offer for the fight, he didn’t even know who his upcoming opponent was at first.
One of the factors that changed the situation was the amount offered by the UFC. Hooker revealed that the organization offered him a significant pay raise to take the risk and face Parnasse in the Octagon.
“ I’d never heard of him,” Hooker said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “But later I found out he’s actually a pretty big name on the European scene.” Of course, I know KSW—it’s a huge organization in Europe. They sell out stadiums. I had no idea who he was. My manager told me how much money they’re offering for a fight against him, so they must think this kid is really good.”
“The Hangman” then revealed just how financially attractive the UFC’s offer turned out to be. For comparison, he mentioned a potential fight with Justin Gaethje.
– When they offer you twice as much as you’d get for fighting Justin Gaethje… Let’s say I’d get half that amount for a fight with Justin Gaethje. If you want to play, you have to pay. You want a superstar? I’m the only one stupid enough to fight that kid. No one else plays the game the way I do. I play with high volatility. I take high risks. Ultimately, I’m a prizefighter. I’m here for the biggest prize, and this is the biggest prize currently on offer in the world. I’ll be there with the greatest pleasure.
Hooker wants to ruin Parnasse’s celebration. “He won’t get past me.”
The high pay was another factor that encouraged Hooker to accept the bout. However, the New Zealander doesn’t intend to settle for just the paycheck. He wants to use the fight against Parnasse to send a strong message to the entire lightweight division.
Hooker is well aware of the Frenchman’s immense popularity in Europe. Parnasse has been fighting in front of European audiences for years and has built his reputation on his successes in KSW. “The Hangman,” however, intends to silence the fans gathered in Paris and ruin their evening.
“ This is going to be a blast! ” said Hooker. “ When I think about this moment, it warms my heart. Everyone’s spending their hard-earned money on tickets, and I’m just going to ruin it all for them. I’m going to ruin this party.”
The New Zealander went even further. In his opinion, Parnasse wants to use his debut victory to prove that he belongs among the UFC’s top ten from day one and can join the competition for the championship belt. Hooker intends to brutally put those plans to the test.
– This kid wants to prove he belongs in the top 10, that he’s in the running for a title shot, and that he’ll go after the belt—but this will be the last time you hear from him. Ultimately, he won’t get past me. This will be the first and last time this kid heads out in the main event of a UFC card.
Hooker has a professional record of 24-14. He heads into his bout with Parnasse off a TKO loss to Benoit Saint-Denis. Previously, “The Hangman” also lost to Arman Tsarukyan, who defeated him by submission.
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