The co-main event of UFC Fight Night 76 is a lightweight contest between “Stormin” Norman Parke and Reza “Mad Dog” Madadi. Parke has lost his last two fights via split decision so he is in dire need of a win tomorrow night. Madadi, on the other hand, makes his return to the Octagon for the first time in two and a half years. Norman Parke (20-4-1, 4-2-1, -280 favorite) Parke first entered the UC scene as a competitor on The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes. Parke dominated most of his the competition and won the show with relative ease. Since then, Parke has not exactly been a fan favorite, as many have complained his fights are boring. Coming from a Judo background, Parke has a strong base and is difficult to take down and even harder to keep there. We have not seen much of his ground game yet, but it is most likely decent. Fighting out of a southpaw stance, Parke has a crisp jab and straight left hand. However, that is about how all he offers on the feet. Parke gets a lot of criticism for pressing his opponent against the fence and holding them there for long periods of time. If he is going to get off this losing streak he is going to have to be more active and inflict more damage on his opponents. Reza Madadi (13-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC, +240 underdog) Reza Madadi is an interesting story because he was coming off the biggest win of his of his career in 2013 and he thought it would be a great idea to rob a luxury goods store in Stockholm. He was ultimately convicted of grand larceny, sentenced to 15 months in prison, and released from the UFC. Prior to his criminal exploits, Madadi compiled a 2-1 record in the UFC, including a win over current top five lightweight Michael Johnson. He also holds career wins over Carlo Prater and Rich Clementi. After his release from prison, the UFC signed brought him back into the fold earlier this year. The 37-year old is primarily a grappler. H has eight submission wins out of his 16 career victories. Madadi isn’t the greatest wrestler, so he will likely have a hard time taking Parke down. If he does get Parke to the mat, Madadi is a decent guard passer and has a plethora of submissions at his disposal. However, he does not offer much of the feet, as his main goal is to close the distance and drag his opponent to the mat. Thoughts This will likely not be an entertaining fight, as Madadi will try to get Parke to the mat at all costs. However, that will be no easy task as Parke has very good takedown defense. Parke, on the other hand, will look to take the center of the cage and pepper Madadi with jabs and straight punches. I see Parke winning a decision here, as he does not have much power in his strikes and Madadi is tough to put away. The Prediction Norman Parke defeats Reza Madadi by unanimous decision
