Salahdine Parnasse doesn't pay much mind to the chatter around his highly anticipated UFC debut.
Parnasse (23-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a former two-division KSW champion, is set to headline Saturday's UFC Fight Night 287 in Paris, France, opposite lightweight veteran Dan Hooker (24-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC). Hooker has been very vocal about his intentions in the lead-up to the fight, saying he's there to ruin Parnasse's title dreams and make sure this is his first and last UFC headliner. The French-Moroccan fighter is keeping focused on Saturday and is in no way bothered by Hooker's pre-fight comments.
"It's just silly," Parnasse told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. "It's just, you know, the thing that he says. I don't have to worry about that. All I've got
to worry about is what I'm going to do in the fight, what I'm going to do in that cage."
It's rare to see a UFC debutant headline a card right off the bat. Many believe in the UFC jitters, and wonder if this might jist be too much too soon for Parnasse.
"No, I feel good," Parnasse said. "I feel really, really good, and I've had a lot of challenges, sporting challenges, in my life. I've had a lot of big moments, so I feel really good to go in there and put on a great fight on Saturday. I know that's what people are expecting to see."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Salahdine Parnasse unbothered by Dan Hooker's 'silly' trash talk ahead of UFC Paris
