The lone heavyweight fight on Saturday’s UFC London card found Poland’s Marcin Tybura face off with British big man Mick Parkin.
Parkin had been a bright spot in his short UFC run, earning four straight wins since graduating from the Contender Series in 2022, and boasting a 10-0 record. His first fight of 2025 saw him get a step up in competition against “Tybur,” and while Parkin unsurprisingly held his own in early striking exchanges, he also had to contend with the grappling of Tybura. Mid-round, Tybura appeared to have a bodylock in place, clamping his wrists together while standing behind Parkin, but the takedown failed to materialize, and Parkin went back to slowly walking his opponent down, firing his right hand and mixing in a left.
At the very end of the round, it was Tybura landing a takedown, though Parkin’s corner believed it remained his round. Still, it was a rather close one.
In round two, it was Mick Parkin getting in the driver’s set when the fight went to the ground. On top, he landed some smashing ground n’ pound, hammer fists flying like Donkey Kong. Somehow, Tybura survived, and even briefly attempted to snatch a leg. Parkin was too crafty for that, though the Polish heavyweight would escape to his feet shortly thereafter, with a little over 90 seconds still on the clock.
Heading into the third round, Marcin Tybura was in need of, if not a finish, at least a change in approach, after being dominated for a good chunk of the second. Tybura looked tired though, a punch to the midsection looking particularly laboured with over three minutes remaining in the fight. Parkin landed his best strike of the round a minute or so later, a right hand that halted Tybura in his tracks for just a moment. He would recover, and hold on to the bell, with the #8-ranked Marcin Tybura doing just enough to secure another close round. That gave him the edge on all three scorecards, despite #13-ranked Parkin having the most dominant round overall in the second.
Official Result: Marcin Tybura def. Mick Parkin by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
