UFC Fight Night 38: Stormin' Norman Parke is ready for war in Brazil this weekend

Originally reported at: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/mma/ufc-fight-night-38-stormin-3260989

UFC Fight Night 38: Stormin' Norman Parke is ready for war in Brazil this weekend Mar 19, 2014 15:49 By Mark Spence

This Sunday Norman Parke will take on Brazilian, Leonardo Santos in his own backyard. It's a tough task but one the Northern Irishman is relishing

GettyNorman Parke faces his toughest task yet in Brazil on Sunday Since coming to prominence on The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, Norman Parke has firmly embedded himself as 'one to watch' in the lightweight division.

With a current UFC record of 3-0 this weekend's clash in front of the notoriously raucous Brazilian crowd will be his most arduous test yet.

Should he prevail over Santos though, Parke's stock will rise considerably and a bona fide assault on the lightweight division could be on alongside his former TUF coach Ross Pearson.

We caught up with with Stormin' Norman ahead of his crunch match.

How has your training been going so far? Great. I was in pretty good shape before I went to America for my camp, so I didn't have to push my body too hard. We have loads of guys training for fights at Alliance so everyone was pushing each other, it was a great environment to be in.

Will this be your first time in Brazil? Yes, this will be my first venture to Brazil. Brazil is a place I’ve always wanted to visit when I was younger, now the UFC has given me that opportunity and I can't wait to get there. Brazil is like the UK in some respects: it’s a fighting nation, it's in our blood.

How are you feeling about fighting a Brazilian in Brazil? Do you think Santos will have the hometown advantage? I asked to fight on this card in Brazil so I'm going to relish the moment. As for home advantage I don't think it will make a difference to my performance, at the end of the day it's just Santos and me in the Octagon.

GettyNorman ParkeParke's mixed martial arts record currently stands at 19-2 Do you like to study your opponents in depth? What do you see as his strengths and weaknesses? I’ve watched some of his fights and he's got good control on top. As for striking, he's tall and has a good range but it’s nothing that fazes me.

What about a prediction for the big night? I'm hoping we can stand and strike for a while, but I predict he’ll probably try to take me down. If I hurt him at any time, I’ll definitely be hunting hard for the finish.

What’s next for you after this fight? I never like to look too far ahead, but that being said I’ve already convinced myself that I’ve won the fight in my head. After this I'm hoping for someone in the top tier of the division.

The UFC have announced they will be back in Dublin in July, would you be interested in being on that card? Yes, of course I would love to fight in Dublin! In fact, I’ll email Joe Silva straight after this win! I want at least three fights this year, and my goal is to be ranked in the top 15 of my division by end of the year.

UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs Henderson 2 is live on BT Sport Sunday 23 March at 11pm

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