Athletes
Mick Parkin | Making The Most Of Every Walk
Heavyweight Eager To Pick Up Another Impressive Win In Front Of The Crowd In London
The Octagon has touched down twice in the United Kingdom since he made his debut in 2023, and he has been on both cards. Not many people get to say they made their debut in their home country, only a few hours away from their hometown. But Parkin was one of those lucky ones. It was a night the heavyweight will never forget.
“The walk was amazing, and I was like looking around, thinking this is absolutely amazing,” Parkin said. “As soon as the doors shut, business is on, but at least for the walk I got to be a little bit happy before someone tries to punch you in the face.”
The 29-year-old hasn’t always had the mindset to embrace every moment as you make the walk into battle.
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“I used to try and get in there as quick as possible,” Parkin said. “I'd be so nervous and then obviously when the fight happened, you’re sort of stuck in the cage, and you just react. But I used to be terrified, and it was one of my friends who said, ‘You’re going to look back when you're like an old man and think, this was such a cool experience, you've done something that not many people have. You're going to be looking and thinking I can't remember anything because I was so worried.’ I enjoy fighting, I enjoy training, so now I just enjoy it.”
Saturday night, almost two years since his UFC debut, Parkin gets to once again make the walk inside The O2 Arena as he faces Marcin Tybura. Last July, Parkin picked up a huge first-round knockout inside the Co-op Live in Manchester. It marked his first performance bonus in his UFC career and his fourth win inside the Octagon. Parkin’s record remained perfect with 10 wins and no losses.
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He hasn’t competed since that fight with Lukasz Brzeski, but Parkin has made his way into the rankings, currently sitting at No. 13, and now he gets his first test of facing someone also with a number next to their name, as “Tybur” sits a few spots ahead of him at No. 8. Since the start, Parkin has always been very vocal about wanting to take his time with his career and moving up through the division. But in a division like heavyweight, sometimes you get put on the fast track.
“I've been quite fortunate that Marcin is obviously ranked at eight now and I've been lucky to jump past the Top 15 to Top 10, which is good. Sometimes you have to have these harder fights and jump through. I've jumped straight into the Top 10, it feels like.”
Tybura is a seasoned veteran in the UFC, having made his debut back in 2016, and he has faced high-caliber opponents throughout his career, such as Derrick Lewis, Tom Aspinall and Tai Tuivasa. He comes into the matchup with loads of experience, as he made his professional debut in 2011. Parkin is excited for the type of fight that Tybura brings to the table.
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“He has been around forever,” Parkin said. “He has had so many fights. He's so tough and durable and experienced, as well. I know if you rush people like that, they can recover because they've seen it all before. I know it's going to be a hard fight. I know that. I do feel like I'm a lot better than him and but definitely it's going to be a hard, gritty fight.”
In terms of where Parkin sees his strengths, the answer is everywhere.
“I think I'm a lot more technical than most heavyweights,” Parkin said. “We're all big guys and anybody can get knocked out by anybody. That's why everybody loves the division so much, but I do feel like it's my technique that beats them all. I think I've got more technical with my defense and everything. I can grapple, as well. Not a lot of big guys are the best with the best of grapplers, but I can mix it up. I do think I'm a little bit better than them, in every area.”
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Parkin doesn’t expect to jump the line and fight for the title with a win over Tybura, especially with his good friend Aspinall waiting in the wings for Jon Jones, but he does want to make a statement that the number next to his name means something and that he does belong here.
“I want to see where I end up after this because I was 14th and now, I think I'm 13th, but I've only basically got ranked because a few guys either left the UFC or been cut,” Parkin said. “I feel like I haven't won a fight and got there, so I need to beat Marcin and see where I'm at from there.”
UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Brady took place live from O2 Arena in London, England on March 22, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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