This is the UFC Fight Night 38 live blog for Leonardo Santos vs. Norman Parke, a lightweight bout at Sunday night’s UFC event at the Ginasio Nelio Dias in Natal, Brazil.
Santos, who won his UFC debut this past June, will face Parke, who has won his first three fights in the UFC, on the main card.
Check out the UFC Fight Night 38 live blog below.
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Round 1: Third man in the cage is Wernei Cardoso. PArke with his right hand up high waving. Front kick from Parke misses, and Santos with solid leg kick. And another. Santos steadily working the leg kicks, and now with a Thai plum trying to set up a knee, but can’t get it. Uppercut from Santos lands, nicely thrown. Parke gets poked in the eye on an exchange, and the ref breaks the action. Parke’s okay, and we’re back at it. Good exchange, with Santos laying the heavier leather. Big right kick from Santos to the body. Now Parke with a deadly little combo that gets in on Santos. They clinch. Left eye swelling on the Irishman. Big welt under his left arm on the ribcage from that kick, too. Parke puts his head down and pushes Santos up against fence. He’s trying for a takedown, but can’t get it. Santos gets a clinch, and shoves Parke off him. Left hand from Parke hits its mark. Body kick from Santos and as Parke comes in for a punch, Santos changes levels and blasts him into fence. They waltz across now, with Parke doing the plowing. He can’t create much space, as Santos has a whizzer. The referee separates them. Santos throws a right, and Parke comes up high with two kicks. They exchange and clinch again in the middle, and Parke tries for a throw. Can’t get it. At the end he tries for a single leg, but Santos able to maintain his balance and stay upright. MMA Fighting scores R1 for Santos, 10-9.
Round 2: Parke fighting with urgency, comes in with a series of high kicks. He gets caught dead in his tracks though with a right hand and an uppercut. Santos winning exchanges on whole. Parke digs in underhooks and maneuvers Santos to fence, where he posts the Brazilian up. Again, Santos with a clinch and from that is able to force a break. They are at center, and Parke with a stiff left hand right down the boulevard that lands, and tries for a takedown in the aftermath. Can’t get it this time either. Back to the fence, and Santos with the clinch. Now Parke changes levels a little bit and tries to heft up the Brazilian, can’t. Apparently there was a shorts grab in that process, and the referee automatically deducts a point from Parke. Wow. We are right back at it, and Parke throws a high kick, and once again Santos with brief plum. On fence, Parke toiling with knees in close. Can’t get much going from it, but he’s dictating from that space. They break and go back to center, and Santos lands an elbow from range. Parke immediately in clinch and shoves Santos to fence, and lands his own elbow once there. Parke sneaking little shots in with the dirty boxing, but nothing big. Tucks in an uppercut to Santos, but the Brazilian is keeping him very close. Parke is trying though, and at end grabs his back and tries to fling him to the canvas. Can’t, and instead pulverizes Santos’ thigh with a couple knees. MMA Fighting scores the round a tie 9-9 (due to point deduction; 19-18 overall for Santos)
Round 3: Parke out immediately, trying to get something going with combination. To the fence they go, with Parke’s head burrowed into Santos’ chest. More inside stuff, dirty boxing but not much room. Santos doing a good job tying up Parke and frustrating his aggression. Santos reverses momentarily, but can’t maintain the position and ends up with his back against the links. Sharp very audible in-close uppercuts from the clinch from the Irishman. Santos just clinging to Parke’s neck and trying to rustle him. They are separated momentarily by ref, but Parke immediately right back into the same position, keeping Santos tied up on the fence. Santos briefly tries for a trip, can’t get it. Again, after watching the stalemate, referee separates the fighters. Parke at center lands a couple of good lefts, nice fluid stuff. And again, he puts his head down and moves Santos into the fence. Inside of a minute, Parke landing knees to the thighs. Now Parke has Santos’ back, and plowing his knees into the back of Santos’ thighs. SIngle-leg dump at the end by Parke, and that’s it. Not the greatest round, as the crowd boos. Looked like Santos might have coasted. MMA Fighting scores R3 for Parke, 10-9 (28-28 overall, for a draw)
UFC Fight Night 38 official results: Leonardo Santos and Norman Parke fight to majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)