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Salahdine Parnasse made quite the first impression on UFC CEO Dana White, and his callout of Max Holloway was an added bonus.

Parnasse made his promotional debut in the main event of UFC Paris. The former two-division KSW titleholder collided with seasoned veteran Dan Hooker. Parnasse demonstrated his championship experience and stopped “The Hangman” in the opening frame via TKO. It was a body kick that ultimately led to the finish, with Parnasse dropping his opponent before delivering some ground punches.

Now that the French-Moroccan star has arrived in UFC, he’s gotten the attention of White, who spoke to media members following a recent edition of his Contender Series. The UFC boss said he was pleasantly surprised to see Parnasse targeting a showdown with Holloway right away (via MMAJunkie).

“The crowd was incredible, the fight was great, and calling out Max Holloway is pretty crazy,” White said. “… The fact that that guy wants to fight Max Holloway right now is impressive. I like it.”

Parnasse has debuted on the UFC media rankings panel at the No. 8 spot. He still doesn’t have a place on the Meta UFC rankings panel. Regardless, Parnasse appears to be in for stiffer competition. White also touted the rising lightweight’s social media viewership.

“Incredible,” White said. “He was the third-biggest debut on social media that we’ve ever had. Right behind Paddy Pimblett and (Raul) Rosas Jr.”

Holloway currently doesn’t have an opponent lined up following the disappointing conclusion of his UFC 329 rematch with Conor McGregor. “Blessed” emerged victorious after McGregor blew out his ACL early in the bout. Parnasse isn’t so sure that he’ll get Holloway right away.

There is no shortage of competition for Parnasse, but he’s looking to face someone in the top five next. We’ll keep you updated on what plans the UFC brass have in store for its newest emerging name.

Do you think Salahdine Parnasse is good enough to beat Max Holloway right now, or do you need to see more of him in action? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM