Jake Paul, who also co-owns MVP, is doing everything he can to make his upcoming Netflix MMA event on May 16 a success. The promotion has already lined up blockbuster matchups, including Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano. Additionally, fans will also see former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou return to MMA after nearly two years. Meanwhile, MVP continues to build the fight card and actively targets top prospects, including fighters that Dana White and the UFC once pursued.

According to the latest update from The Scrap, promoters are currently negotiating a potential clash between French standout Salahdine Parnasse and American fighter Kenny Cross, a former DWCS contender. However, officials have not finalized the fight yet, and sources say both sides remain in talks. ‘The Boss’ has already hinted at the matchup on social media, revealing that he is sharpening his skills in fight camp.

For those unfamiliar, Parnasse stands as one of Europe’s top lightweight fighters with a 22-2 record. Moreover, he holds titles in two KSW divisions and showcases sharp striking along with knockout power. Earlier this year, he secured a second-round knockout win over Marcin Held. He has captured championships at both 145 and 155 pounds in KSW and also stepped up to challenge welterweight champion Adrian Bartosiński in 2023, though he fell short.

As a result, his performances drew strong interest from the UFC, with Dana White attempting to sign him. However, Salahdine Parnasse chose to reject the offer because of the lower pay.

“The seesaw is huge,” Salahdine Parnasse’s manager and coach told RMC Sport in 2024. “You should know that I won’t give figures, but we had very, very good proposals. We earn two and a half times what we used to earn. So it’s just huge. It’s largely in the six figures, yes, of course. The UFC was between 20 and 30 times less.”

Salahdine Parnasse has since made that decision count. He stayed with KSW and built a four-fight win streak, knocking out every opponent in that run. Moreover, he stepped into boxing last year and secured a win, showing his versatility.

On the other hand, his rumored opponent, Kenny Cross, faced a tougher road. He dealt with setbacks after the UFC and Bellator turned him down. However, he turned things around and now runs through American promotions on a four-fight win streak. Let’s take a closer look at Kenny Cross’s career.

Kenny Cross breaks silence on stalled UFC ambitions

Most rising fighters secure a spot in the UFC after winning on DWCS. However, Kenny Cross falls among the unlucky ones. Back in 2020, the American MMA star earned a spot on the UFC’s feeder show. He failed to impress UFC CEO Dana White with a unanimous decision win over Kevin Syler.

After that setback, ‘The Boss’ returned to XFC. He then tested himself in Bellator but suffered a tough loss against Killys Mota. That defeat pushed the 30-year-old to make key changes. He relocated to Las Vegas, sharpened his skills, and trained with a stronger team. Since then, Cross has built momentum and taken control of his career, especially while handling growing responsibilities toward his family.

“If I think about long-term goals, (mine) is to make enough money to support my family and myself and anything we want to do,” Kenneth Cross told MMA Junkie Radio. “I can kind of take it into my own hands and make sure this happens. We only get to live this life for 100 years if you live healthily. If you plan on living great like me, you get 100 years.

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I want to win this tournament…I want to get a nice paycheck and I want to see what it’s like living life without all the stresses of day-to-day checks and all that.”

Now, five years later, Jake Paul’s promotion looks set to help Cross move closer to that goal of earning a bigger paycheck, especially if he finalizes a bout with rumored opponent Salahdine Parnasse.

So, what’s your take on this matchup? Drop your opinion below.