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UFC Dublin
UFC President Dana White the 'piggy in the middle' after showdown erupts between Parke (left) and Madadi.

On February 27 Northern Irish lightweight contender Norman Parke meets Dagestan’s Rustam Khabilov at UFC Fight Night in London.

“Stormin’ Norman” heads to London’s O2 Arena off the back an intense rivalry with fiery Swedish standout Reza Madadi. Parke claimed victory via a unanimous judges’ decision in Dublin last October, however the anticipation heading into this weekend feels noticeably calmer following the intensity of his clash with “Mad Dog” Madadi.

“I fed off his personal history,” Parke told MMA Plus. “It was a good opportunity for me to hit him and it hyped the fight. People can say it was a boring fight but I guarantee loads of people tuned in to watch that fight and I did enough to get the win. This is a tough business we’re in, if you lose a few then you’re gone and away into the mist you go.”

Parke featured as the unknowing villain in the mesmerizing documentary “Mad Dog – From Chaos to Comeback” which details the emotional life story of Madadi and his rivalry with Parke leading to Dublin. The Irishman’s victory provided the film with a bittersweet ending, and while Parke was interested to learn more about the life of his former opponent, he was glad that the opportunity came after the fight and not before.

“Someone sent me a link so I watched it. It was very emotional; his whole life and kids, it was tough. I’m glad I never saw that before the fight because I would have felt sorry. It was a great show and well put together, I enjoyed it and wish him the best of luck in his next fight.” Click HERE for MMA Plus review of the documentary and scroll down for for the trailer

Parke secured a clear cut victory on the scorecards after shrugging off his opponent’s grappling tactics. Parke recalled that Madadi came with an attempted wrestling assault from the off, and believes that Khabilov is likely to do the same as a well known Sambo Master with a highlight reel of suplexes.

“I knew I could out-strike [Madadi] in certain parts, but straight in he wanted to wrestle me. I’ve got a funny feeling that’s the way it’s going to go this time (against Khabilov), so you’ve got to be prepared for that.”