Parke continues to impress in the UFC

Bushmills man Parke made it three wins on the bounce as he outlasted the previously undefeated Tuck in an entertaining three-round lightweight affair. There was plenty of good action in the opening round, with Tuck the slightly busier of the two. It was Northern Ireland’s Parke who was the more effective fighter though, as he repeatedly tagged Tuck with counter lefts and ended the stanza with a nice takedown.

Parke’s striking volume and steady pressure put Tuck on the defensive in round two, and the tide of the fight was visibly changing by the second as the former TUF Smashes winner repeatedly tagged his tiring foe. Tuck made it more competitive in the last frame, but Parke remained a step ahead throughout, striking his way through the final five minutes to cap off his tenth consecutive victory.

“The first round was a little bit tentative,” said Parke afterwards. “After that I could hear my corner encouraging me to push the pace and they were saying I had too much for this guy.

“I was in my groove and felt well in control, but I wanted that finish. Overall though I’m happy to get the win. I’m 3-0 now and I’m still moving up that ladder. The Lightweight division is tough, it’s stacked with loads of great fighters, but I’m here until the end, there’s no stopping me now.”

UFC President Dana White was impressed saying: “I thought he looked great tonight.”