Norman Parke vs Paul Redmond was the fantasy fight Irish fans had been crying out to see, and it did not disappoint as BAMMA 28’s headliner.
The two former UFC stars duked it out in an epic battle in Belfast’s SSE Arena.
Redmond showed some slick boxing skills on the feet, but Parke was smart enough to take his opponent down whenever he could. Once the Northern Irishman got in the top position in the first round, Redser found it very difficult to buck him off, although that didn’t stop him from attacking off his back. Parke’s control from the top was enough to take the opener.
The second round was the one with that will cause all the debate. Redmond looked good in the striking exchanges and with had some submission attempts, but again Parke controlled well from the top position. There was no doubt about the final round, which Redmond clearly took, but that tricky middle one made for an interesting scorecard.
In the end, two of the three judges felt that Parke had won two of the three rounds, meaning he took the victory by majority decision. However, because he tipped the scales at 155.8 lbs, over the championship limit, he did not win the belt.
After that spectacular showing, we’re sure fight fans wouldn’t mind seeing a rematch.
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