Longtime European powerhouse KSW kicked off its 2026 campaign this past weekend at Radomskie Centrum Sportu in Radom, Poland, and the promotion’s first main event of the year delivered in a big way. One of the best fighters in the world competing outside the UFC, France’s Salahdine Parnasse, scored a dominant second-round finish over Marcin Held.
The opening round was competitive, as expected. Parnasse is known for using the first frame to download data and read his opponent, and Held was able to hang with the two-division champion early. That changed quickly in Round 2.
Parnasse turned up the pressure and unleashed a vicious combination that sent Held crashing to the canvas. The French standout immediately pounced, swarmed with strikes, and forced the stoppage.
Check out the finish below:
Now 22-2 overall, Parnasse continues to cement his status as one of the elite talents outside the UFC. The reigning KSW Lightweight and Featherweight champion is riding a four-fight win streak and has gone 8-1 in his last nine outings.
With a few more lucrative paydays under his belt, the question resurfaces: is it finally time for Parnasse to test himself inside the Octagon?
“Thank you all for the strength you gave me on Saturday night,” Parnasse wrote on social media. “To those who were there in person, and to those who supported me from afar with messages, know that it really means a lot to me. Great evening, but one small downside: hand injury (I went a bit too hard), but nothing serious apparently.
“I’m going to take proper care of it so I can get back to training quickly,” he added. “We keep moving forward, with hopefully a next fight coming soon, before the end of my contract in May. The best is yet to come.”
There’s no doubt Parnasse would be a massive addition to the UFC’s already stacked Lightweight division. At just 28 years old, he remains one of the most versatile and skilled fighters on the planet.
