Three French fighters each pocketed $100,000 performance bonuses at UFC Paris on Saturday, with hometown favorites Salahdine Parnasse and Axel Sola headlining the list after violent finishes at Accor Arena.
Parnasse, the former KSW two-division champion making his UFC debut, stopped Dan Hooker with a liver kick in under three minutes in the main event. MMA Mania reports the finish came so quickly that the Frenchman improved to 24-2 while announcing his arrival on the big stage. After the stoppage, Parnasse called out Max Holloway.
Sola collected his own $100,000 check for a first-round knockout of fellow Frenchman Fares Ziam in the co-main event. Per Sherdog, a left hook left Ziam unconscious for an extended period. The win pushed Sola to 13-1-1 and marked his second consecutive Octagon victory.
Featherweight Losene Keita joined the French bonus winners with a one-punch knockout of Muhammadjon Naimov inside the opening round. Keita moved to 17-2 with the finish.
Unbeaten heavyweight Mario Pinto rounded out the $100,000 earners with a back-and-forth TKO of Ryan Spann. Pinto extended his record to 13-0 and 4-0 inside the Octagon. Five other fighters collected $25,000 finish bonuses, including UFC debutante Delphine Benouaich, who submitted Sofia Montenegro in the second round.
Original reporting:
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