UFC Fight Night heads to Paris this Saturday, featuring a card with nine French fighters among the 14 scheduled bouts. Unlike many recent events where most fights were projected to end by stoppage, only seven of the Paris matchups are expected to conclude inside the distance. The event begins early Saturday, with the preliminary card starting at 12 p.m. ET and the main card commencing at 3 p.m. ET, broadcast on Paramount+.
Main Event Focus: Parnasse vs. Hooker
The lightweight main event pits France's Salahdine Parnasse against Dan Hooker. Parnasse, 23-2, is making his UFC debut and is seen as faster, stronger, and more skilled than Hooker at this stage of their careers. Hooker, with a record of 24-14, has lost his last two fights by second-round stoppage and has been outstruck significantly in those bouts. Parnasse is favored, particularly with the advantage of fighting at home. One prediction suggests Parnasse will win by submission, a prop bet available in the +275 range.
Preliminary Card Highlights
Another notable matchup features a battle between two French lightweights, Fares Ziam and Axel Sola. Ziam is coming off a loss where he was heavily favored. Sola, who won his last fight in Paris by TKO, has shown improvement in his grappling, including a recent submission win. Both fighters have shown tendencies to struggle when not dictating the pace. Sola, considered the underdog, is predicted to win due to his more aggressive style, landing 4.5 strikes per minute compared to Ziam's 2.68. A moneyline bet on Sola at odds up to +135 is suggested.
Additional Card Predictions
Predictions for other bouts on the UFC Fight Night Paris card include Nursulton Ruziboev by decision over Michael Page, Daniil Donchenko by decision against Punahele Soriano, and Kurtis Campbell by KO/TKO over Trevor Peek. Losene Keita is a recommended moneyline pick for parlays, as is Mario Pinto against Ryan Spann, and Nathaniel Wood. For the bout between Oumar Sy and Modestas Bukauskas, Sy is favored by KO/TKO. Morgan Charriere and Felipe Lima are predicted to go the distance. The fight between Nora Cornolle and Klaudia Sygula is projected for a decision win for Cornolle. Additionally, Matthieu Duclos is expected to win and the fight to start Round 2, while Delphine Benouaich and Sofia Montenegro are predicted to complete the distance.