MVP MMA: Salahdine Parnasse vs Kenneth Cross Preview & Prediction
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Salahdine Parnasse closes out the prelims in his first fight outside of KSW in almost a decade, taking on Kenneth Cross at lightweight.
Salahdine Parnasse vs Kenneth Cross facts
What time are Salahdine Parnasse and Kenneth Cross expected to walk out?
Where is MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano? Intuit Dome, Inglewood, USA
Where can I get tickets for MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano? Click here for the latest ticket information for MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano
How to watch MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano on? UK – Netflix / USA – Netflix
MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano main card
Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano (Featherweight)
Francis Ngannou vs Philipe Lins (Heavyweight)
Nate Diaz vs Mike Perry (Welterweight)
MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano prelims
Salahdine Parnasse vs Kenneth Cross (Lightweight)
Junior dos Santos vs Robelis Despaigne (Heavyweight)
Jason Jackson vs Jeff Creighton (Welterweight)
Muhammad Mokaev vs Adriano Moraes (Flyweight)
Namo Fazil vs Jake Babian (Welterweight)
David Mgoyan vs Albert Morales (Featherweight)
Aline Pereira vs Jade Masson-Wong (Catchweight – 130 lbs)
Chris Avila vs Brandon Jenkins (Catchweight – 165 lbs)
Salahdine Parnasse: Can the French prospect make a splash on MVP's debut event?
Widely regarded as one of the best MMA fighters plying his trade outside of the UFC, MVP's signing of Salahdine Parnasse (22-2) is an indicator that the promotion means business. A defending two division champion in well-regarded Polish promotion, KSW, Parnasse looks to be an elite talent in the making at 28 years old, with fourteen finishes already split evenly between KOs and submissions. Furthermore, the Frenchman has multiple wins over UFC level talent on the regional circuit to underline that he arguably belongs at the highest level of MMA.
Kenneth Cross: Cross looks to upset the applecart as an enormous underdog
A veteran of Bellator, XFC, and Tuff-n-Uff, Kenneth Cross (17-4) finds himself poised for the biggest opportunity of his MMA career to date. It's a remarkable turn of events given that "The Boss" came up short in his UFC audition, failing to earn a contract despite scoring a unanimous decision victory on the Contender Series back in 2020. Having only seen the scorecards on four occasions across more than twenty professional fights, the 31 year old is a prolific finisher. However, while he has seven submissions to his name, he's also proven susceptible to getting finished on the ground, getting tapped out in all four of his losses to date.
Salahdine Parnasse vs Kenneth Cross prediction
A seasoned veteran of the game, Cross is hardly a scrub but make no mistake; "The Boss" is getting teed up for Parnasse to stop him in highlight reel fashion on MVP's inaugural event.
In addition to having a slight reach advantage despite being the shorter fighter in this match up, the Frenchman is a well-rounded finisher who is a threat anywhere the fight takes place. He's got the power and technique to stop Cross on the feet, and given the American's history of submission defeats, I like his chances to find the tap if they end up in a prolonged grappling exchange.
Cross simply hasn't fought - let alone beaten - the requisite levels of competition to make me to believe that he's got a meaningful chance of scoring the upset in this one. Parnasse has been stopped before and the MMA gods love a fraud check, but outside of a Hail Mary KO from his American foe, I think he looks to be a safe bet to style on Cross in all areas of the game here.
Prediction: Salahdine Parnasse to win by TKO
