Former two-division KSW champion Salahdine Parnasse delivered a highlight reel knockout in his U.S. debut after he put away Kenneth Cross with a nasty body shot in the first round on Saturday.
There was considerable hype around Parnasse heading into the card and he proved he was ready for the big show after he came out attacking Cross from the first second of the fight. There were several wild scrambles but Parnasse was clearly the more dominant striker and after hurting Cross and pushing him against the cage, he knew the end was near.
That’s when Parnasse just started blasting away with punches and he saw an opening to start digging to the body with several shots in a row. The final punch to the gut put Cross down on the ground as referee Jason Herzog came to his rescue with the end coming at 4:18 in the first round.
“I’ve been working really, really hard,” Parnasse said after the win. “I gave my all. It’s such an honor. I’m grateful for everyone. I’m ready for the next fight, boxing, MMA, I’m ready. I’m the best fighter in the world. Anyone.”
A quick start from Cross looking for a takedown with Parnasse defending well to stay off the ground as they battled for position. A good jab from Cross landed clean and Parnasse was quick to fire back with a flurry of punches that led to a wild exchange.
Parnasse ended up with a takedown of his own and he started blitzing Cross with punches before advancing to take the back. He eventually flattened Cross out on the canvas as he began unloading shots from above.
The assault continued as Cross finally scrambled up to his feet trying to survive but Parnasse was all over him, unloading a barrage of punches in succession.
That led to Parnasse targeting the body with several punches in a row and Cross finally folded as he crumbled to the canvas to end the fight.
Parnasse has long been considered one of the top fighters in Europe but his U.S. debut proved he might just be one of the best fighters in the world. Now it’s a race to see who signs Parnasse for his next fight because he’s immediately one of the top free agents in the sport after that stunning performance.