Fans hoping to see Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane finally settle their unfinished business at UFC Paris will have to wait a little longer. After knocking out Alex Pereira to become a two-time interim heavyweight champion at UFC Freedom 250 in June, Gane immediately pushed for a heavyweight title unification bout with Aspinall at the UFC’s return to Paris in September.
The matchup made plenty of sense, especially after their first meeting at UFC 321 ended in a no contest following the accidental eye poke that left Aspinall needing double eye surgery. Once the British heavyweight recovered, he made it clear he was ready to run it back.
Aspinall recently confirmed that he has been medically cleared and is simply waiting for the UFC to book his next title defense. But that fight won’t be happening in Paris. Instead, the UFC has handed the September 5 main event at the Accor Arena to the lightweight division.
The company has officially signed former KSW two-division champion Salahdine Parnasse, who will make his promotional debut against veteran contender Dan Hooker in a five-round headliner. The announcement was made during Saturday’s UFC Abu Dhabi broadcast.
For Parnasse, it’s a dream opportunity on home soil. The French star enters the UFC riding plenty of momentum after scoring a first-round TKO over Kenneth Cross at MVP MMA’s inaugural event on Netflix in May, ending an impressive 16-fight run with KSW.
Long regarded as one of Europe’s top MMA prospects, Parnasse began his professional career in 2015 and quickly established himself as one of France’s brightest talents. He opened his career with eight straight victories, captured the 100% Fight championship, and earned a contract with KSW soon afterward.
It didn’t take long for him to become one of the promotion’s biggest stars. Parnasse claimed the interim featherweight title by defeating Roman Szymański before defending it against Ivan Buchinger. His first attempt at becoming undisputed champion ended in disappointment when Daniel Torres handed him the first loss of his career with a shocking first-round knockout.
We know you’ve been waiting for this ‼️@SalahdineP has signed with the UFC and will face @danthehangman for the main event at #UFCParis !
[ SEP 5 | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Zz7EuwrqSZ
— UFC (@ufc) July 25, 2026
ALSO READ: Magomed “Chanco” Zaynukov Improves to 9-0, Blasts Ilia Topuria After Impressive UFC Abu Dhabi Debut
Rather than let that setback define him, Parnasse bounced back immediately. He earned another shot at Torres, avenged the defeat by unanimous decision, and later added the interim lightweight title to his collection by defeating Sebastian Rajewski. He then stopped Robert Ruchala to become KSW’s undisputed lightweight champion and a two-division titleholder.
Now, the 23-2 French standout gets arguably the toughest test of his career in his UFC debut. Standing across from him will be Dan Hooker, one of the UFC’s most experienced lightweights. The New Zealander has been with the promotion since 2014 and enjoyed his best stretch between 2017 and 2020, emerging as one of the division’s top contenders.
However, Hooker enters UFC Paris in desperate need of a win. The 36-year-old has dropped back-to-back fights against Benoit Saint Denis and Arman Tsarukyan, with his last victory coming via split decision over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in August 2024.
For Hooker, it’s a chance to prove he still belongs among the lightweight elite. For Parnasse, it’s the perfect opportunity to announce himself on the biggest stage possible. And while fans may have missed out on an Aspinall-Gane showdown, UFC Paris has still landed a high-stakes main event with major implications for the 155-pound division.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
