Norman Parke (18-2, 2-0 UFC) vs. Jon Tuck (7-0, 1-0 UFC)
After having a previously scheduled bout cancelled the week of the fight, Parke and Tuck will finally square off in a solid lightweight encounter on the main card of UFC Fight Night 30. Parke was the lightweight winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes” and is entering this bout riding an eight-fight win streak and he is 18-1 since losing his debut. He last fought in July at UFC 162 where he defeated Kazuki Tokudome. Tuck has been out of action for nearly a year but is looking to remain undefeated in his career. He last fought in November defeating Tiequan Zhang at UFC On FUEL TV 6.
Fight Breakdown- Parke started his professional career with a submission loss in March 2006 that prompted him to take two years away from competition. Since returning, he has been steamrolling competition by scoring 18 wins in 19 fights with 15 of those wins coming by knockout or submission. After compiling a 16-2 record, he left the familiar combines of Europe to compete on “The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes”. Parke stormed through the competition en route to the finals where he took on Colin Fletcher. He defeated Fletcher to win the six-figure contract, and it came in his first fight outside of Europe. Parke traveled to the United States to fight for the first time in his last bout as he fought at UFC 162 in July. He defeated Kazuki Tokudome by decision and showed a very well-rounded skillset that could make him an underrated contender in the lightweight division.
Tuck looks to keep himself undefeated in his professional career as he has won all seven of his official bouts. Tuck won six straight bouts, all by stoppage, to earn a chance to compete on season 15 of “The Ultimate Fighter”. Tuck lost in an opening round bout to eventual finalist Al Iaquinta, and was perhaps most remembered for being the fighter who broke his toe in half during the fight. Despite the loss, Tuck remained with the UFC and was booked in a debut bout against Tiequan Zhang when the UFC debuted in China for UFC On FUEL TV 6 in November. Tuck remained undefeated as he scored a decision win over Zhang, and it also marked the first time he had gone past the first round in a fight. He was set to make his second appearance inside the Octagon against Parke at UFC On FOX 7 in April, but an injury with just about a week left before the bout forced the cancellation of it. Tuck will be returning for nearly a year long layoff on Saturday.
Both men are skilled grapplers with solid submission skills though Parke has the experience edge over Tuck. Parke works with one of the best grapplers in the world, Robert Drysdale, and he has scored twelve submission wins in his career. He has good judo which allows him to score effective takedowns, and he is good from the top position as he threatens with submissions. Tuck is a big lightweight and he likely will have the strength advantage in a ground battle, and he showed the ability to make smooth transitions to dominant positions that allowed him to attack with submission attempts in his win over Zhang. He will need to create distance on the ground and make the same type of smooth transitions if he wants to hang with Parke on the ground. This has the makings for a very interesting battle should they hit the mat but Tuck may wanna keep this fight on the feet.
Tuck has more power on his feet though his chin was rocked by Zhang late in their fight. Tuck had never been past the first round in his career, and his ability to bounce back from being in trouble to edge out a decision showed that he can go the full 15 minutes with solid preparation. Parke comes out swinging with left hooks so Tuck should look to counter those and turn this into a dogfight on the feet. Parke gets better as he gets in close range as he works solidly in the clinch and utilizies his judo black belt to drag the fight down to the mat. Tuck is going to have to show how good his standup is if he is going to win this fight as Parke will likely be the victor of an extended ground battle. He has good defense on the ground as well and this fight is made for him to win. Tuck is a tough fighter who wants to keep his undefeated streak alive, but Parke will just outwork him on his way to a likely decision win, though he could submit Tuck late in the fight.
Why It Matters- Both men were solid additions to the lightweight division and have the chance to hang around the UFC for a long time. Neither has hit their physical prime, and yet, both have been very impressive over their careers. Parke wants to keep his long winning streak in tact while Tuck would love to remain undefeated. Something has got to give in this fight, and win-or-lose, both men will see a lot of action inside the Octagon for many years to come.
Prediction- Parke
