Dan Hooker makes astonishing claim about Salahdine Parnasse fight
Dan Hooker spoke to Ariel Helwani in a recent interview, during which he made a stunning revelation about his upcoming matchup with Salahdine Parnasse.
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dan Hooker touched on his upcoming lightweight fight with Salahdine Parnasse on Sep. 5 at UFC Paris. The bout marks his second of the year, and his first-ever in France. And according to Hooker, it is one of the most lucrative bouts of his career, despite Parnasse being a UFC debutant.
Dan Hooker is set for his biggest-ever payday
As Dan Hooker gears up to take on Salahdine Parnasse at UFC Paris, he joined Ariel Helwani for an interview. During the pair's conversation, Hooker was asked if the purse he'll receive for the bout will be the biggest of his career. With no hesitiation, 'The Hangman' said the following (14:56):
"By a country mile, baby. By a country mile. He said, 'Kid's on debut,' and then my manager, Ash, told me how much money it was, and I said, 'Viva la Paris. Viva la France.' Bro, I love it."
It's a surprising revelation, given that Parnasse is not a household name and will be making his UFC debut. Furthermore, Hooker has faced more high-profile fighters like Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, Islam Makhachev, and Arman Tsarukyan, all while earning less. While his payday against Parnasse will be the highest of his career, Hooker has been on something of a slump inside the octagon. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak, having lost to Tsarukyan via submission in round two at UFC Fight Night 265. That loss was followed by a second-round TKO loss to Benoît Saint Denis at UFC 325. A loss to Parnasse, a UFC debutant, would be disastrous, though it wouldn't be his first time losing to a fighter making their first-ever octagon walk.
At UFC 257, 'The Hangman' took on Chandler, who was, at the time, making his prromotional debut. Unfortunately for Hooker, the bout was a one-sided annihilation, as Chandler needed less than three minutes to TKO him in round one. At 36 years old, with a 24-14 record, Hooker is entering the twilight years of his career. Parnasse, by contrast, is nearly 10 years younger at 28, holds a 23-2 record, and is on a five-fight win streak. While he hasn't faced the same level of competition that Hooker has, many expect him to emerge victorious against a man who is, by now, over-the-hill.
