UFC Fight Night 287: Dan Hooker vs. Salahdine Parnasse expert pick

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at UFC Fight Night 287's main event between Dan Hooker and Salahdine Parnasse.

Height : 6'0" Age : 36 Weight : 155 lbs. Reach : 75"

Last fight : TKO loss to Benoit St. Denis (Jan. 31, 2026)

Stance/striking style : Orthodox/muay Thai

Salahdine Parnasse UFC Fight Night 287 preview

Height : 5'10" Age : 28 Weight : 155 lbs. Reach : 73"

Last fight : TKO win over Kenneth Cross (May 16, 2026)

Stance/striking style : Southpaw/kickboxing

+ KSW lightweight and featherweight title

+ Pro boxing exp. (1-0 with 1 win by KO)

Dan Hooker vs. Salahdine Parnasse point of interest: Open-stance affair

The main event in Paris features a lightweight showdown between UFC stalwart Dan Hooker and promotional debutant Salahdine Parnasse.

Parnasse is a fighter whom I've had on my radar for years (featured in my 2023 prospect to watch column), so it's nice to see him finally onboarded by the world leader.

A flexible French prospect, I tend to describe Parnasse as a more active and boxing-heavy version of Leon Edwards.

Operating out of a southpaw stance with similar swagger, Parnasse is a fairly active jabber and feinter – utilizing said tactics to set up the bigger shots to come. From pulling out opportunities for cross counters to setting up hard Thai kicks from the rear, Parnasse possesses all the weapons that a southpaw should never leave home without.

Parnasse will even attack the rear legs of orthodox opposition with Sittichai Sitsongpeenong-style kicks, but the Frenchman will need to be mindful in those ranges against a long, lanky striker like Hooker.

A muay Thai stylist who can work with all forms of pressure, Hooker wields a diverse arsenal of attacks.

Whether he's fighting from orthodox or southpaw, the New Zealand native can strike well from either stance, both coming forward and off the counter.

Working nicely off a long, well-placed jab, Hooker can prod with effect or attach it to the end of combinations as a disruptive check to help dissuade counters. Often following up with his patented crosses and head kicks, the 36-year-old talent will continue to vary his tempo and attacks throughout the contest, attempting to build pace and pressure.

Helping glue together Hooker's offensive repertoire is his ability to effectively feint in space – something that I suspect he can thank Eugene Bareman and the City Kickboxing crew for. Nevertheless, despite Hooker's noted technical improvements and inherent toughness, defense has not necessarily been his strong suit, making offense a potent, two-way street in this fight.

Dan Hooker vs. Salahdine Parnasse point of interest: Potential grappling threats

Considering where Hooker has lost his last two fights, no one should be shocked if Parnasse opts for the path of least resistance this Saturday.

Akin to the Edwards comparison in the previous section, Parnasse is a fighter who is not afraid to take things to the floor when needed.

Whether Parnasse is hitting reactive shots on opponents who come in hot or is countering offense in the clinch with takedowns of his own, he has proven to be someone who will happily take what's given to him and will not force things out of ego. Parnasse is a vicious bodworker in tight, but is just as happy to hit shuck-bys or go for tactics like Alexandre Pantoja-like back takes off of crab ride sits.

That said, Hooker also does some of his best work in close quarters, demonstrating some underrated wrestling in the latter stages of his UFC tenure.

Perhaps it's his experience with muay Thai, but Hooker comports himself well in clinch scenarios, seldom being stuck against the fence for long before showing some type of ability to spin his opposition around, as well as occasionally looking for takedowns of his own.

Improving his scrambling in recent years, Hooker shows a solid awareness of his hips and an ability to snatch backs in transit that has served him well. When an opponent gets too overzealous in going for a takedown, Hooker puts his long arms to good use as he gets creative with his front-choke threats.

Parnasse has shown solid submission defense and positional awareness against credible opposition on the KSW scene, but he'll still need to be on his best behavior when tying up with a crafty veteran like Hooker.

The oddsmakers and the public heavily favor the UFC newcomer, listing Parnasse -700 and Hooker +440 via FanDuel.

Dan Hooker vs. Salahdine Parnasse prediction, pick

Although these odds are almost insultingly wide given the upsets we've seen lately, I can't disagree with who is favored.

Don't get me wrong, Hooker absolutely has all the tools for an upset here, so no one should be acting like the world is falling apart if Parnasse is the one who gets caught with a head kick or a left hand in the heat of things. However, given how high I've been on Parnasse's game, I have a hard time picking against the Frenchman in this spot.

Aside from left-sided strikes and Parnasse's general shot selections being traditional trouble spots for Hooker, "The Hangman" also has a propensity to push action into the clinch when he doesn't need to (a mistake that led to him getting finished in his last two fights).

Against a fighter like Parnasse, who feels at home both striking and wrestling in said spaces, Hooker could find himself, once again, playing with some serious fire.

Parnasse may not be a standout grappler from a resume or on-paper accolade perspective, but countering and coming out on top of grappling scenarios has been a quiet specialty of the former two-division KSW champion for some time now. Add in Parnasse's predilection for punishing the body and legs, and I can't help but side with the fighter with 14 title fights to find a finish in the early-to-middle rounds.

The official pick is for Parnasse to spark off a stoppage via bodywork by the end of Round 2.

Prediction: Parnasse inside the distance

Dan Hooker vs. Salahdine Parnasse start time, how to watch

As the main event, Hooker and Parnasse are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 5:35 p.m. ET. The fight streams on Paramount+ .