Sherdog Prospect Watch: Salahdine Parnasse

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Current KSW 145-pound titleholder Salahdine Parnasse is one of the purest talents fighting out of France and will display his skills in the upcoming KSW 76 headliner on Saturday, Nov. 12. Parnasse will move up a division in an attempt to become a double champion when he locks horns with Sebastian Rajewski with the interim lightweight championship on the line. Parnasse was scheduled to face linear champion Marian Ziolkowski before an injury to the Polish fighter prevented that clash from happening. The Frenchman boasts a 16-1 record and will step into the cage riding a three-bout winning streak.



Parnasse is a very complete fighter who can be dangerous wherever the contest goes. Overall, Parnasse has amassed eight decision victories, but has also finished his opponents eight times. His favorite way to end the fight inside the distance is by submission, with chokes being his favorite maneuvers. His quickest victory came when he forced Helder Fernandes to tap to a rear-naked choke at 100% Fight - Contenders 30 in October 2015. His only loss is due to an inventive forearm strike that landed on the side of Parnasse’s head early in the opening frame of his bout with Daniel Torres at KSW 58.

Incroyable. Magnifique. Génial! 👏

🇫🇷 @SalahdineP's phenomenal takedown and submission over Filip Pejic!

The French sensation is at #KSW76! pic.twitter.com/ts2MVkbgkr

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) November 8, 2022

Parnasse made his professional debut on June 20, 2015, when he dispatched Jordan Berger thanks to an arm-triangle choke at 100% Fight - Contenders 29. At the time, Parnasse wasn’t even 17 years old, yet he showcased a natural predisposition for the sport. In the span of a few years, Parnasse acquired precious mixed martial arts experience and defeated eight opponents in a row, including current Ultimate Fighting Championship contestant William Gomis and former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 145-pound kingpin Morgan Charriere. Parnasse’s travels brought him as far as China, where he picked up two victories and a draw, but ultimately he settled down in Poland after receiving a call from KSW.



After Parnasse scored three straight triumphs almost effortlessly, he received an opportunity to clash with Roman Szymanski for the interim 145-pound title at KSW 48 as the linear titleholder at the time, Mateusz Gamrot, was busy defending his second championship, the lightweight one. In front of a roaring crowd in Lublin, Poland, Parnasse stopped Szymanski with strikes in the second period. The Frenchman was then called to defend his interim championship against Ivan Buchinger and picked up a unanimous decision victory at KSW 52 on Dec. 7, 2019. In the meantime, Gamrot signed with the UFC, and Parnasse was promoted to undisputed champion. The rest in recent history. Parnasse suffered that freak loss to Torres and bounced back from his first and only loss to date thanks to a finish over Filip Pejic at KSW 61. He then settled the score with Torres by dominating his opponent en route to a unanimous decision at KSW 65 in December, proving that Torres’ victory was nothing more than a fluke. Most recently, he overcame Daniel Rutkowski via rear-naked choke in the KSW 68 headliner, picking up his eighth promotional victory and his second title defense in as many championship runs.