Introduction
Saturday, December 7th, French featherweight prospect Salahdine Parnasse will be in action for KSW, where he will be looking to stay undefeated against Ivan Buchinger. He will be looking for the victory, as Parnasse looks to defend his KSW Featherweight Championship. He represents Atch Academy, an unknown camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Well-Rounded: Parnasse is pretty well-rounded, as he’s more of a jack-of-all-trades. He doesn’t necessarily stand out in one area. He’s just solid. On the feet, he’s a solid striker, though his lack of one-punch KO ability is one thing that’s been noticeable so far. He does accumulate a lot of damage with his volume though. He’s very good on the ground with his grappling. He’s very heavy on top, despite the fact he’s a lean, long fighter. He has solid ground-and-pound ability, as well as his submissions on the ground. Because of his long limbs, he is able to more easily secure chokes when he’s in the position to do so. Four of his six finishes come by way of submission.
Length/Athleticism: Parnasse is a good sized featherweight at 5’8″, but what makes him a big featherweight is that he has very long limbs. That makes him fight taller and longer. He uses that well in the cage, where he controls the distance and strikes out of range consistently. Add to that the fact that he’s a great natural athlete. He has good movement, he’s quick and can be explosive. So, not only can he strike at a range and length, but he gets in and out quickly when forging attacks. All these intangibles are important to his in-cage fight style.
Needs Improvement
Decision Fighter: More than half of Parnasse’s wins come by decision. That is an issue that has to be addressed. Fans and promoters like finishers, so the fact that he tends to rely on the judge’s scorecards hurts him a bit. Plus, the motto “never leave the fight in the hands of the judges” is often used, as in a close fight, they decide your fate and they’re not always correct. As he’s stepped up in competition, namely under the KSW banner, he’s taken more decisions. He only has one finish in four fights with KSW. Yes, it was his most recent fight that he got the finish, but he also had a majority decision in his KSW debut. That is a close call. If Parnasse can score finishes going forward, this will erase the one chink in his armor that I have seen to this point.
Outlook
Major MMA Promotion Contender: Parnasse is just 21 years old (22 in a couple days) and already a champion of a major MMA organization. That is mind boggling. This kid is not even in his prime yet, which is a scary thought for anybody who faces him down the road. The decision consistency aside, Parnasse nevertheless has been winning fights with increasing difficulty. Imagine Parnasse at 26 years old. With more experience, increased skills and continued athletic prowess, he will be a contender in a major MMA promotion. Hopefully it’s the UFC.
MMA Intel 