Manchester — British heavyweight Mick Parkin, who trains alongside UFC interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall and KSW heavyweight champ Phil De Fries, came away from UFC 304 with a highlight reel knockout, and an extra $100,000 care of a Performance of the Night bonus.
Parkin (10-0) wasn’t yet aware he’d won the bonus while speaking to media members backstage at the Co-Op Live in Manchester on Saturday. He was, however, thrilled with the performance, and finish, against a tough Lukasz Brzeski.
“I thought I was going to strike with him, but we had drilled mixing in takedowns as well. I knew he’d been put down a few times in his fights, and been controlled there. So that was an option,” said Parkin, asked whether standing with Brzeski had been the plan. “But I thought I was doing okay on the feet.”
He certainly was doing okay, though throughout the fight, Parkin still had his ground game in his back pocket. “I knew he was tough and very durable so I thought I would more likely get a finish on the floor, because I felt I was a lot better grappler than him. I felt like I was catching him with good, clean shots then obviously kept it standing and got the finish.”
While it crossed his mind partway through to take the fight to the ground, “I’m glad I didn’t now,” Parkin added.
The win improves Mick Parkin’s record as a pro to 10-0, something of a milestone and magic number in the sport, especially for a heavyweight. Looking to make a fall turnaround, possibly in November, there’s a chance Parkin could headline a card in the near future.
“That would be amazing. Honestly I haven’t thought about it, I just take it as it comes,” said Parkin when that idea was proposed. “I know it’s a fast-track, and it definitely is. And I’m telling you I’ll take my time, and the next fight will probably be a top 15 opponent. But I’m happy with the way I’m going. Let my coach decide all that. If he feels that’s the right thing, that’s the right thing.”
Admitting that he’s still developing as a fighter and learning from his mistakes, Parkin went on to add that “this UK card was amazing. I’m so grateful to be on this, because I feel like everybody wanted to be on this, and to fight on this in front of a home crowd, it’s literally what dreams are made of.”
Watch the full UFC 304 post-fight press conference with Mick Parkin above.
