Mick Parkin is gunning for his first stoppage win under the UFC banner when he takes to the octagon at UFC 304.
The unbeaten Heavyweight faces Polishman Łukasz Brzeski in the preliminary portion of the UFC 304 card, set for this Saturday (July 27) at the newly opened Co-op Live arena, the biggest indoor arena in the UK.
The contest will see Parkin back in front of a home crowd for the first time since his promotional debut last July. The 28-year-old is excited to perform in front of a home crowd once again and would like to be a regular feature of the promotion’s UK cards moving forward. Speaking to the media, he said:
“I just enjoy it. Like I said, these moments like Manchester, maybe one a year (the UFC) will come to the UK but it's not guaranteed I'll be on it. So, it's amazing to get on these UK cards and I'll try my best to get on them all the time but no, (there’s) no added pressure. People are still watching if you get beat, they’re still watching the telly regardless.”
Brzeski enters the UFC octagon for the fourth time when he faces Parkin. After a tough start to life at the top, going on a three-fight skid, ‘The Bull’ turned things around in his last outing with a unanimous decision win against Valter Walker. Heading into the bout, Parkin cannot think of a way in which he will not have his hand raised and continue his unbeaten run on Saturday night.
“I can just go off his previous fights, everyone's different, everyone is getting better. He looks like more of a kickboxer fighter, he’s just tough and durable. I think I'm loads better than him everywhere, I like technically much better but I do think he's aggressive and he's definitely tough, which can make for a hard, gritty fight. So I wouldn't be surprised It was a harder fight than people are expecting but I can't see him beating me.”
Parkin is one of a number of European Heavyweight athletes that now train regularly together at Aspinall BJJ. The 28-year-old discussed the importance of training with other guys of a similar shape and size to himself, and how it has helped him improve as an all round mixed martial artist.
“My first gym, I was training with Welterweights, Middleweights, probably at the biggest and I thought I was amazing and I was doing okay but I thought I was amazing. I moved and trained with Big Phil (De Fries) about five or six year ago.
“He lives right around the corner from me really. I was training through Seaham with Andrew Fisher and I still remember the first session with Phil. He was the first big guy, more experienced than me, it was awful. I was thinking, ‘Oh god, this isn't as nice as when you train with the Welterweights or the Middleweights.’
“I need to train with bigger guys, it has got me loads better, some of the harder fighter potentially I wouldn't have won if I was still training with lighter guys. To go and train with Tom and like eight or nine great heavyweights, people from all over the world that are travelling there, its amazing. I don't think there is anywhere in the world now with heavyweights as good as at Tom’s gym.”
Prior to signing with the UFC, Parkin had never been to the judges scorecards but since earning the contract, the Sunderland man has picked up three consecutive unanimous decision wins. As much as a win is a win, it would mean a lot of the Heavyweight to pick up his first stoppage win under the UFC banner, this Saturday.
“Oh, that would be amazing, the first round finish like what Tom gets, that would be amazing. In and out, done, lovely. Like I've said, I've never searched for them. Maybe the higher level opposition (plays a part) maybe it is me playing it a little bit safe sometimes, but I've been working on my game and I do think I am going to get the finish on Saturday night.”
