Two names who emerged victorious as part of Most Valuable Promotions’ debut MMA event have joined the UFC roster.
Salahdine Parnasse and Robelis Despaigne have both signed UFC deals, as it’s been revealed in recent weeks. Parnasse is expected to make his promotional debut against Dan Hooker as part of UFC’s September 5 show in Paris, while Despaigne’s next assignment isn’t known at the moment.
Parnasse scored a first-round win as part of MVP’s MMA card back in May, stopping Kenneth Cross with strikes. The French talent has been valued for years as one of the sport’s biggest up-and-coming names. He was a big free agent prior to signing with MVP, putting together a lengthy career as a two-division champ in prominent Polish promotion KSW.
Despaigne’s signing with UFC is a return to the company. He initially debuted for the promotion in 2024, entering with a lot of fanfare due to three separate regional wins which emerged in less than 15 seconds. While he had an electric 18-second UFC debut, he suffered back-to-back losses and was released by the end of the year.
Despaigne spent the next two years fighting in stand-up brand Karate Combat, going on a run of seven straight wins. He beat former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos in brutal fashion at MVP’s show back in May.
The two signings bring forward intriguing questions about the future of MVP in MMA. Two months removed from the Netflix-streamed event, headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, there haven’t been any updates on whether the boxing promoter plans to further venture into caged combat. And now, two of the bigger rising names who won on the show’s main card have been locked down to deals with the industry’s biggest brand.
