Salahdine Parnasse made his UFC debut count, and now he’s not holding back on how he views American striking compared to what he grew up training in France.
In an interview, the lightweight star said the American athletes he’s faced and watched simply aren’t on the same level technically when it comes to standup.
“They’ve surprised me, quite simply,” Parnasse said of the reaction to his debut. “I’ve always said American strikers aren’t as developed as we are. We really have the vision on everything to do with kickboxing. We have a really complete range compared to them. Basically, they’re wrestlers. So they’re a bit sloppy.”
He continued, “They’re a bit like boxers who throw punches any old way. Whereas we’re more structured in our approach. We have French boxing, we have English boxing, we have kickboxing. We have plenty of sports, and I think we’re better in that department compared to them. They just have wrestling and grappling to work on in addition, and even then, I think we have good people. We’re well surrounded in France to succeed and become that ultimate athlete. I think we can surpass them.”
Parnasse, now 24-1, walked out to “California Love” for his promotional debut and described the moment as surreal, calling it “a dream come true” as he pushed to prove doubters wrong after leaving KSW. He said he deliberately paced himself for the first two minutes before closing the distance and finishing the fight, rejecting any notion he needed to force a statement.
“There was this desire to prove I’m already among the best athletes in the world, because a lot of people were saying I didn’t have the level for the UFC,” he said. “I showed the complete opposite, simply with all the experience I’ve been able to gain during my career.”
He also pointed to a wave of French talent rising through the promotion, name-checking Ciryl Gane, Nassourdine Imavov, Manon Fiorot, Benoit Saint-Denis and more as evidence the sport’s center of gravity is shifting.
On the immediate future, Parnasse reiterated his call for Max Holloway, referencing an old interview in which Holloway said he’d be waiting for him. “Max, without the phone signal,” he joked, urging Holloway to reconnect and answer the callout.
He said he’d also accept a match against another top five opponent if Holloway doesn’t happen, adding he’s never turned down a bout in his career and won’t start now.
