UFC legend compares French prospect to Poatan and points out a key detail in his debut.

Salahdine Parnasse defeated Dan Hooker at UFC Paris . Photo: Reproduction / UFC

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Salahdine Parnasse had a perfect debut at UFC Paris , held last Saturday (5), but, for Daniel Cormier , one specific factor was fundamental to the Frenchman's success. The home prospect stepped into the octagon in the main event and knocked out Dan Hooker , who was coming off two consecutive losses, in the first round. In the view of the former UFC champion, the vast experience accumulated by Parnasse before arriving at the Ultimate made the difference.

In a video published on his YouTube channel, Cormier highlighted the Frenchman's high-level experience. According to the commentator, Parnasse had already fought 12 title fights before even making his UFC debut, a record that, in his opinion, has few parallels among athletes who have reached the world's leading MMA organization.

“He fought 12 title fights before even stepping into the UFC octagon. I don’t know if we’ve ever seen anyone arrive in the octagon with that level of experience at a high level since, perhaps, Alistair Overeem ,” said Daniel Cormier.

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Cormier also emphasized that the comparison is not limited to elite athletes in a specific sport. According to him, Parnasse built a unique career by competing at a high level in both MMA and other combat sports over a long period. Therefore, the Frenchman arrived at the UFC already accustomed to the pressure and the level of high-level competition.

“I’m not talking about Alex Pereira specifically in kickboxing. Nor am I talking about Gable Stevenson specifically in wrestling. I’m talking about someone who competed both in that individual sport and in MMA, at that level and for so long,” concluded the former champion.

Parnasse arrives in full force at the UFC.

With his resounding UFC debut, Parnasse is already showing that he is a serious threat to the top lightweight fighters (up to 70,3 kg). Confident, the 'Kylian Mbappé of MMA', who is expected to take over the New Zealander's 12th place in the rankings, guaranteed he is ready to face a top-5 opponent and mentioned Max Holloway as his dream fight.

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