The UFC heads back to Accor Arena in Paris, France, for its annual trip to the European nation.
This time around, the UFC brings 14 fights to fans, including an exceptional main event between veteran lightweight Dan Hooker and UFC newcomer Salahdine Parnasse, a French native.
Ahead of this stacked card featuring some of Europe’s top fighters, here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s event, including which fights to keep your eye on.
Top lightweight prospect makes UFC debut
In the headliner of UFC Paris, France’s own Salahdine Parnasse battles Dan Hooker in a fight that could announce to the MMA world that Parnasse is ready for the lightweight division elite.
Parnasse is 23-2 in his MMA career with 15 finishes, and he was previously a two-division champion in KSW, one of Europe's top shows. In Parnasse’s last bout, he fought on North American soil for the first time and won by knockout at the MVP MMA 1 event.
That performance was enough for the UFC matchmakers to finally sign him, and they gave him a huge fight for his promotional debut as he takes on the longtime Octagon veteran Hooker.
The Kiwi is 14-10 in the UFC since first coming to the world’s leading MMA promotion in 2014, and he has fought and defeated many of the best featherweights and lightweights in the world.
However, Hooker is coming off two straight losses by stoppage and, at age 36, it feels like he has finally hit the decline phase of his MMA career after absorbing so much damage.
This is an absolutely massive fight for both men, as a win could put Parnasse on the fast track to a title shot at 155 pounds, while a win for Hooker would show he’s still a top guy at lightweight.
The betting odds see Parnasse as a massive betting favourite, but given how much UFC experience that Hooker has, you can’t rule out the possibility of him pulling off an upset.
All-French battle in co-main event
The co-main event of UFC Paris is an all-French battle between Fares Ziam and Axel Sola.
Ziam has a 10-3 record in the Octagon since joining the UFC in 2019. He recently saw his six-fight win streak snapped when Tom Nolan beat him at a UFC Fight Night in June.
As for Sola, he is 2-1 in the UFC, and the Frenchman is getting an absolutely massive opportunity here in just his fourth UFC fight as he gets a co-main event slot on home soil.
The UFC typically does not match up two fighters from the same country for international cards, but interestingly, that’s what they are doing here.
On paper, this fight should be a barnburner.
Page fights for new UFC contract in featured bout
In a middleweight bout, Michael Page will be fighting for a new contract when he battles Nursulton Ruziboev in a bout that could determine the Englishman’s UFC future.
Since joining the UFC in 2024, Page has a 4-1 record inside the Octagon, but his fights have been a snooze to watch, as all five of them have gone the distance without much excitement.
Page is hopeful the UFC will re-sign him, but there is no guarantee they will, based on how his fights have gone so far, so he knows he needs to take risks in this fight at UFC Paris.
Ruziboev is 5-1 in the UFC with four wins by stoppage, so he will bring the fight to Page. That should result in an exciting matchup … at least, that’s what the UFC hopes.
Page is the favourite to win, but just getting a result might not be enough for him to earn a new UFC contract. He might need to finish this fight if he wants the promotion to give him a new deal.
Heavyweight prospect looks to keep rolling
On the preliminary card, undefeated Portuguese MMA prospect Mario Pinto looks to keep his unbeaten record intact when he takes on longtime UFC veteran Ryan Spann in a banger.
Pinto is 12-0 in his MMA career with eight stoppage wins, and he is 3-0 so far in the UFC.
Meanwhile, Spann is 24-11 with 21 wins by finish and has a 10-6 UFC record, with eight of his wins coming by stoppage. Therefore, there’s a good chance this fight won’t need the judges.
Should Pinto win, look for him to get someone ranked in the top 10 at heavyweight his next time out, while Spann is getting a good opportunity here to take out a heralded young prospect.
Underrated Wood fights UFC newcomer
Also on the prelims, English featherweight fighter Nathaniel Wood takes on Moldova’s Pavel Andrusca, who is stepping up on just one week’s notice to fill in for the injured Mairon Santos.
Wood is one of the most underrated fighters on the UFC roster today. Since joining the promotion in 2018, he is 11-3, including a 7-1 record since moving up to featherweight in 2022.
Andrusca, meanwhile, enters the UFC with an unbeaten 8-0 record with seven finishes, but he has not fought anyone on the level of Wood, so, not surprisingly, he’s a big underdog here.
If Wood wins this fight as expected, then the UFC should give him someone ranked in the top 10 at 145 pounds his next time out, as all he does is continue to get his hand raised in the Octagon.
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