That let Parnasse know he had Hooker hurt and the Frenchman was perfect with his shot selection to put the fight away.
After hurting Hooker to the body with a kick, he moved his target higher and landed a head kick which he quickly followed with a flush left hand. That saw Hooker drop to the canvas and a couple of follow-ups were all he needed to force the referee’s hand.
It was a sixth win in a row by stoppage for Parnasse, who won titles at featherweight and lightweight with European promotion KSW, giving him the keys to potential match-ups with some of the UFC’s most desirable opponents in the division.
Oddly enough, it’s the same result as the last time Hooker was tasked with welcoming a champion from another promotion into the division, when he was beaten by former Bellator champion, American Michael Chandler, in 2021. At the time, Hooker was ranked in the division’s top five and Chandler fought for the title in his next outing.
For Hooker, the loss to Parnasse puts him at a crossroads. The Kiwi has been a mainstay in the division’s top 15 for the best part of the last seven years and has become a fan-favourite with his kill-or-be-killed style, and while the loss shouldn’t see him fall out of the top 15 entirely, he has now lost three bouts in a row, all by stoppage.
The three-fight skid is the longest losing streak of his 39-bout professional mixed martial arts career.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.