![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/20260723043834_opinion.JPG\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The
\nUFC turned heads with its signing of Salahdine Parnasse. | \ud83d\udcf7: Sarah
\nStier\/Getty Images for Netflix<\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those How the KSW champion could reshape the UFC’s talent Am I willing to say Parnasse is a future champion? The smart money Regardless, the UFC is badly in need of this type of signing. If someone wants to throw out the UFC had several signings last With Parnasse, very few know much about him. For most, their only The question I have is whether this will be a sign of things to
\nof the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of
\nSherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company,
\nEvolve Media.* * *
\n
\nThis past weekend, it was announced during the
\nUltimate Fighting Championship<\/a>\u2019s
\nAbu Dhabi card<\/a> that the organization had made a notable
\nsigning, enough so that the signee would be making their Octagon
\ndebut in the main event. Given there isn\u2019t a whole lot of attention
\npaid to
\nKSW<\/a> from most North American fans, I\u2019m sure there was a lot of
\n\u201cWho?\u201d being said when Salahdine Parnasse was announced to be
\nfighting Dan Hooker at UFC
\nParis<\/a> in September.<\/p>\n
\npipeline
\n
\nDespite the likelihood of Parnasse being an unknown to many fans,
\nit shouldn\u2019t take away from the fact that the Frenchman is
\nlegitimately a big signing for the UFC. He managed to win titles in
\ntwo divisions in KSW and made a respectable attempt for a third.
\nFor those unaware of the significance of KSW, it has several
\nfighters over the last decade who have turned down UFC offers,
\nlargely due to financial reasons as KSW tends to offer more
\nguaranteed money. Would they be able to carve out long-term UFC
\nroles? I have no doubt in my mind. In fact, the UFC nabbed a pair
\nof their past champions from the organization in Jan Blachowicz and
\nDricus du Plessis.<\/p>\n
\nwould be to bet the field, but if there was anyone on the KSW
\nroster whom I would bet would slap UFC gold around their waist, it
\nwould be Parnasse. He\u2019s still on the young side at 28 and doesn\u2019t
\nhave a major hole in his game. He also has the physical tools to
\nget the job done, but I\u2019ll add the addendum that there\u2019s a large
\npool of fighters that tag could be applied to that haven\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\nSomeone who stirs the curiosity of the fans who tend to only pay
\nattention to the UFC product. I\u2019m not going to crap on those fans.
\nPeople only have so much time to devote to a hobby or interest like
\nmixed martial arts and the UFC is the most convenient organization
\nto follow. That said, even if it is the best MMA organization in
\nthe world — and it surely is — it can grow stale. There\u2019s so many
\nevents that its rare anticipation grows and difficult to do
\nlong-term promoting. A new fighter is something that is one of the
\neasier sells.<\/p>\n
\nyear, I can\u2019t argue that. Patricio
\n\u201cPitbull\u201d Freire<\/a>, Patrick
\n\u201cPatchy\u201d Mix<\/a> and Aaron Pico all made the transition over from
\nBellator
\nMMA<\/a>. But they were also some of the more anticipated fights for
\nme for the year. How would they stack up against UFC talent?
\nEveryone knew \u201cPitbull\u201d was past his prime on signing, but there
\nwere still interesting matches to be had. Many — myself included
\n— thought Mix could emerge as a title contender. That proved to be
\nvery wrong, but I was happy to find out rather than forever
\nwonder what could have been. In Pico, he still could have
\nhis best years ahead of him. However, given Bellator was arguably
\nthe No. 2 MMA promotion in the world for a long time, there was
\nalso a lot of familiarity.<\/p>\n
\nexposure to him came from the MVP event in May headlined by Ronda
\nRousey and Gina Carano. It may be possible at that point in time,
\nParnasse was the best fighter on that card… but he sure wasn\u2019t
\npromoted that way. He had an entertaining scrap with Kenny Cross
\nthat didn\u2019t get much attention. He was dominant against someone who
\nvery easily could have been signed by the UFC following his victory
\non
\nDana White\u2019s Contender Series<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\ncome or if is an aberration. The UFC hasn\u2019t done much to bring in
\nthe best available talent. Well… perhaps I should say TKO hasn\u2019t
\ndone much to bring in outside talent to the UFC. They didn\u2019t mind
\nspending $15 million for one fight with Conor Benn, but they can\u2019t
\nspend six figures a fight for a potential difference maker in the
\nUFC? Given the UFC is one of two organizations where TKO butters
\nits bread — the other being the WWE — it’s frustrating to see it
\nunwilling to recruit the best available talent from around the
\nworld when it throws that type of money around for a venture that
\nseems more like a passion project solely for themselves rather than
\nputting it into something the fans would like to see them invest
\nin.<\/p>\n