GOIANIA, Brazil — Francisco Trinaldo battled Norman Parke for three rounds at UFC Fight Night 67, but he wasn’t sure he would leave Goiania with the win when the fight ended.
As soon as the third round was over, Trinaldo apologize to the fans at the Goiania Arena, and he did that because he thought Bruce Buffer would announce Parke as the winner.
“I thought the judges would give him (the win),” Trinaldo told the media after being awarded the split decision victory. “I thought it could go either way, but I was blessed and the judges gave it to me. It could have gone his way or mine, and they gave it to me.”
Parke didn’t feel that way, though.
The TUF: Smashes winner, who fought to a controversial draw with Leonardo Santos in March of 2014, after having a point deducted by the referee in Natal, Brazil, doesn’t want to fight in the country anymore.
“Brazilians judges are a joke,” Parke said after the fight. “I won this fight. I won the first and the third round for sure. I’ll never fight in Brazil again.”
Disappointed with his performance, “Massaranduba” expected to knock Parke out in Goiania.
“I tried my best, but this time I couldn’t get the knockout,” Trinaldo said. “I dream with my first knockout victory in the UFC. I’ve won by submission and decision, but I still want the knockout.”
With three decision victories in a row, beating Leandro Silva, Akbarh Arreola and Parke on Brazilian soil, Trinaldo is open to a quick return to the Octagon.
“I’m a UFC fighter and I can’t pick opponents,” he said. “I’m not injured, I’m fine. I’m down to fight again if they call me. I need money, my family needs money, so I’m here. I can fight anyone.”