Parnasse will compete in KSW 114 against UFC and PFL veteran Marcin Held on Saturday in Radom, Poland.
On March 7, 2024, the foyer of Accor Arena was crammed with paparazzi eagerly snapping celebrities who were present to witness the hotly anticipated clash between Cedric Doumbé and Baysangur Chamsoudinov in the French capital.
Among them was celebrated French striker Djibril Cissé, award-winning actor Vincent Cassel and one of the hottest free agents in mixed martial arts, Salahdine Parnasse.
At age 19, Parnasse was already being described as “The Kylian Mbappé of French MMA” by European sports institution, L’Equipe. In the years that followed, the promising talent would go on to claim double champion status with KSW when he secured the promotion’s featherweight and lightweight titles.
Now 28, he courted all the usual suspects in free agency. While the Accor Arena sighting sent the rumor mill into overdrive with claims that his signing to PFL was imminent, sources insisted the UFC was keen on gaining his signature too. In the end — perhaps assisted by another KSW star, Roberto Soldic, signing with ONE Championship and its European expansion plans being halted by the COVID pandemic — Polish powerhouse KSW secured the French star’s services for another tenure.
“KSW gave me a lot of respect during the negotiations,” Parnasse told Uncrowned via translator ahead of his KSW 114 clash with UFC and PFL veteran Marcin Held on Saturday in Radom, Poland.
“I’ve been with KSW since 2017. They really have shown the world who I am and what I am capable of. So far we’ve had a great adventure together.”
When he put pen to paper, Parnasse’s acclaimed coach Stéphane “Atch” Chaufourier disclosed that KSW’s offer was 20 to 30 times greater than UFC’s, with some online reports suggesting the French star was earning as much as €600k per fight.
As evidenced by his last competitive outing, a second-round knockout in his professional boxing debut under Chaufourier’s 100% Fight banner, KSW also granted its crown jewel the freedom to compete in different combat sports with other promotional entities.
“Not a lot of mixed martial artists have the opportunity to compete in boxing and MMA, so I have great respect for KSW for accepting this kind of contract. It’s a unique situation, but boxing was always one of my dreams, so I’m very grateful that they allowed that to happen,” he said.
Although the price tag seems lofty compared to even UFC’s disclosed earnings, Parnasse spearheaded KSW’s expansion into France, reigniting its continental sprawl with three gargantuan shows that underlined the champion’s growing status as a household name in his homeland.
“I remember competing in France before the sport was even legal, so it’s a very different experience competing on these shows with so many people in attendance,” said Parnasse.
“We’ve put in a lot of work to be able to headline those kinds of shows. As well as the performances I’ve been putting on with KSW, my team has worked really hard with my presence on social media and my image in general, which has helped me become one of the most famous fighters in France.”
There’s an interesting contrast between Parnasse and Held. While the Frenchman remained with the Polish promotion, the Pole ventured away from his motherland to compete with the likes of PFL and UFC. Although Polish fans are known for pridefully backing their athletes, Parnasse is treated like one of their own, an honor that has previously been bestowed on KSW legends like Mamed Khalidov, Soldic and heavyweight king, Phil De Fries.
While he was full of praise for Held’s skillset, describing him as the best grappler he has faced, Parnasse does believe he will be the fan favorite when he competes on Polish soil for the first time since 2023.
“Everything started for me here in Poland. I have a great fan base here, they show me a lot of love. I think I might be more popular than him here. I’ve been fighting here since 2017. I’m the youngest champion in the organization and the youngest double champion too. A lot of Held’s career took place outside of Poland so I don’t think the Polish fans know him as well as me. And honestly, I love Poland. I respect the country and the people so much. They know how I feel about them and I think they respect me for that,” he said.
Parnasse still has unfinished business with KSW. Outside of the freak knockout he suffered via the forearm of Daniel Torres in 2021, his only other defeat came when he endeavored to secure a title in a third weight class in his welterweight debut, a decision loss to current 170-pound champion Adrian Bartosiński. While he is adamant he has no other objectives in mind outside of Held, it wouldn’t surprise many to see him take a second run at the historic accomplishment in the future.
On his re-signing to KSW, there was an expected inquisition from the international fanbase, which desperately wanted to see him compete against the UFC’s top talent at 155 pounds. Previously, KSW champion Mateusz Gamrot disclosed that he took a significant pay cut to test himself under the UFC banner. On the other hand, promotional stalwarts like Khalidov and De Fries declined the lower UFC offers, opting instead to continue to build their legacies with KSW.
Largely out of respect for the promotion, or maybe due to the abundance of questions he gets from fans about a future move to the UFC, following the example of Gamrot doesn’t seem to be his favorite topic.
“It’s hard for me to talk about that,” Parnasse said. “I’m in contract with KSW and we have a great mutual respect. I don’t think it’s in good taste to talk about the future in those terms and I don’t want to disrespect KSW by talking in that way. All I can say is, I’m happy with this contract, I’m happy with KSW and as for the future, we’ll have to wait and see.”
And, honestly, if the paydays are even half as good as those online reports suggest, who could honestly blame him?
Interview conducted through a translator. All quotes edited for clarity and concision.
Category: General Sports
