Francisco Trinaldo got the better of Norman Parke tonight at UFC Fight Night 67, with his solid striking including some very nice work to the body in the early rounds helping him to a split decision win (29-28 x2, 28-29).
Round One:
Trinaldo attempts a kick that misses. Soon after Parke goes upstairs with a head kick that’s blocked. Leg kick lands for Trinaldo this time. He lands another to the lead leg.
Trinaldo pumps out the jab, but it’s Parke who connects with one of his own. Another leg kick scores for the Brazilian. Lands to the body this time and shortly afterwards connects with a left hand.
Parke lands an overhand. Trinaldo firing out the jab, but Parke coming over the top. Quality body shot from Trinaldo. He looks for that again which causes Parke to change things up and lands a takedown attempt.
Trinaldo up on his knees working back to his feet with his back against the cage, but Parke keeps him down. Not for long though as Trinaldo does now get upright. Parke still clinched up against the cage though. He lands a trip takedown this time with a little over a minute of the round remaining.
PArke in half guard and Trinaldo is trying to get back upright which he does successfully. Parke still has a hold of his body though. He’s looking for a final takedown to end the round, but Trinaldo drops down a few elbows. Trinaldo finds space and uses the muay thai clinch to lands a good knee before following up with a couple of punches as the horn sounds.
Round Two:
Trinaldo feeling out the jab and tries for the overhand left which comes up short. Parke with an overhand and Trinaldo lands to the body. He lands a couple of leg kicks and then a punch behind it.
Parke moves into the clinch and marches his opponent to the cage. Trinaldo reverses though and presses Parke up against the Octagon fence.
Trinaldo opts to back away and go back to striking range. He lands a left hand. Now steps in and blasts to the body with a punch. Leg kick now.
Parke ducks in for a takedown, but Trinaldo defends and lands a knee. A couple more knees connect for Trinaldo. Parke in for the takedown again and just for a moment he lands it, but Trinaldo is immediately back up.
Trinaldo with a good elbow. He works to the body again and then jumps into a knee to the head. He’s keeping a good pace here on the feet. Parke trying to keep him at bay with the jab, but without much success.
Trinaldo lands a hard punch to the head. Heavy punch to the body and goes upstairs too. Another nasty body shot and Parke looks a little befuddled out there at this stage. This definitely wasn’t how he saw this fight going.
Late in the round Parke is in on a takedown attempt, but Trinaldo largely defends it, only going to his knees for a moment.
Round Three:
Parke’s corner urges him to get a finish in the final round and it does look like he may need that if he wants to emerge victorious here.
Trinaldo swinging a little wild to start the third and not quite connecting. He does connect with a couple of body shots though and a head kick almost gets through.
Another body punch. Parke trying to walk forward and apply pressure, but it’s Trinaldo who keeps getting off first with his punches.
Parke opts to try to get this fight to the ground, and after a bit of a scramble he successfully does so. Trinaldo squirrely on the mat though and Parke’s having to work hard to keep him down. The TUF Smashes winner does manage to get his back though and this is a much better position for him with three minutes of the fight remaining.
Parke has him flattened for just a second, but Trinaldo gets to his knees again. Parke remaining latched onto his back, but not yet finding an opportunity to get the choke in. He lands a few punches, but not a great deal of volume as we get to two minutes left.
Parke goes for the choke, but has to let it go again. 90 seconds to go and time is running out. He looks for the choke again, but it’s not going to happen on this attempt.
Trinaldo almost stands, but Parke just about keeps him down. He’s not secure on his back any more though and Trinaldo manages to get up at the second attempt. Parke back into the clinch though and brings him back to the mat. 20 seconds to go and Parke needs a finish from in Trinaldo’s guard. He doesn’t seem to have the energy left to mount a big finish, opting to just land a few punches before the bell.
Decision:
Parke rallied in the end, but it proved not to be quite enough as it’s Trinaldo who gets his hand raised with a split decision verdict (29-28 x2, 28-29).
