This is the UFC Fight Night 46 live blog for Norman Parke vs. Naoyuki Kotani, a lightweight bout at Saturday’s UFC event at the 02 Arena in Dublin, Ireland.
Parke, who is 3-0-1 in his UFC career, will face Kotani, who is making his UFC return, on the main card.
Check out the UFC Fight Night 46 live blog below.
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Round 1: Marc Goddard is the referee. Both fighters open orthodox with Parke doing the pressing. Kotani throws a series of punches and level changes for a takedown, but it’s stuffed. Kotani keeps trying, with little success. Kotani manages to press Parke into the fence, but he’s reversed. Parke lands a cracking over the top elbow in the clinch and they separate. Decent right straight and body kick from the Japanese fighter, but he’s stuffed again on a follow-up double leg attempt. A flying knee attempt from Parke just misses. Hard body kick by Parke, but it’s temporarily caught before Parke separates. Short left inside by Kotani to get the clinch, but Parke drives a knee to his midsection and they separate. Parke stuffs another shot, beats the arm on the sprawl and gets behind Kotani. From three-quarter mount against the fence, Parke is blasting Kotani with heavy elbows before the bell.
MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Parke
Round 2: A brief halt to the bout due to a groin kick, but the bout resumes. Overhand right for Parke scores and he stuffs a single. The pair clinch and Kotani is returned to the mat with authority with a brilliant body lock takedown. Parke working from side control, but Kotani sits through and the TUF alumnus is drilling Kotani with elbows in half guard. Kotani reaches for a toehold, but Parke escapes and the two clinch along the fence after standing. Parke drags Kotani to the mat and begins to bomb on him with heavy ground and pound. Kotani is covering up, but not much else. After a series of unanswered shots, the referee halts it there.
Norman Parke def. Naoyuki Kotani via TKO (strikes) at 3:41 of round 2