UFC Paris has come and gone, and a new lightweight contender has arrived. Making his UFC debut in his home country, Salahdine Parnasse made a statement. Facing No. 10-ranked Dan Hooker, Parnasse made it look easy.
After a feel-out process where both fighters were patient at range, Parnasse pressed forward and found his mark, landing a clean kick to the liver and then following up with hard left-hand punches to put Hooker out.
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After a dominant first-round TKO win, Parnasse is an instant contender at 155 pounds. Now the only question is just how high up the rankings he will fight after UFC Paris. One top contender needs another fight, and Parnasse would be the perfect matchup. Here are the fights to make after UFC Paris.
Salahdine Parnasse vs Quillan Salkilld
Jun 7, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, UNITED STATES; Quillan Salkilld (red gloves) fights Yanal Ashmouz (blue gloves) during UFC 316 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Parnasse called out Max Holloway in his post-fight interview, and that’d be a phenomenal option. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Holloway will take that fight. Holloway recently stated publicly that he either wants a title fight or another fight against Conor McGregor.
With Holloway now being 34 years old, the biggest fights are going to be his targets. That said, Parnasse needs a huge fight next. Quillan Salkilld has quickly become one of the most intriguing lightweight contenders in the world.
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Salkilld is fresh off a first-round submission win over Mateusz Gamrot. That victory has propelled him into contender status, but the top of the division seems to be busy.
Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy are booked for UFC 331. Charles Oliveira should be up next for the lightweight title since he has a win over champion Justin Gaethje. The status of guys like Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett is unknown, but those two should fight each other.
Parnasse vs Salkilld is extremely intriguing. The forward pressure and striking versatility of Parnasse against Salkilid’s well-rounded, elite grappling game.
Axel Sola vs Manuel Torres
Sep 5, 2026; Paris, FRANCE; Fares Ziam (red gloves) fights Axel Sola (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Sola delivered the highlight of the night, knocking Fares Ziam out with an overhand left. A fight into the bottom of the rankings feels appropriate for Sola’s next bout.
Manuel Torres broke into the rankings last year after a KO win over Grant Dawson. However, Torres’ last fight was a KO defeat against Rafael Fisiev.
The matchup is pretty simple: Sola needs a win to break into the top 15, and Torres needs to prove he still belongs there.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page vs Israel Adesanya
Mar 21, 2026; London,UNITED KINGDOM; Michael Page (red gloves) reacts after the fight against Sam Patterson (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
No one knows what to do with either of these fighters. Page is starting to be known as the most boring fighter in the UFC. After a unanimous decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev, Page is 5-1 in the UFC, but still hasn’t done himself any favors, not finding a single finish.
Israel Adesanya is now on a four-fight skid, losing the last three via finish. A drop-off in competition is what Adesanya needs, and Page presents that. Plus, it’ll be a striking battle where neither fighter will have to worry about being taken down.
Page and Adesanya have been shown to be friends/acquaintances outside of the cage before. Even so, it’s still a fight that makes sense given where both are in their careers. This fight makes perfect sense for a main card of a numbered event.
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