Parke (photo via UFC.UK.com)

By FCF Staff

Due to a impressive run that included winning TUF Smashes, Norman Parke will be a considerable favourite at UFC Fight Night 46, when he takes on Naoyuki Kotani. While the Northern Ireland lightweight believes he’ll stop his opponent, that doesn’t mean he’s overlooking the Japanese veteran.

While speaking to UFC.com recently about Saturday’s bout, here is what Parke had to say about Kotani and his underdog status:

“Even though he’s been fighting in Japan and people are saying he’s fought nobodies, there are loads of great fighters that aren’t even in the UFC that are from the Asian scene,’ said Parke. “I guarantee there’s another GSP (Georges St-Pierre) or another Anderson Silva somewhere out there that has never been found. So I’m taking him seriously and I don’t care what people say. The true hardcore MMA fans know who he is, I know who he is, he’s been there before, he’s experienced, and he’s the most experienced fighter on the card, so it’s a tough matchup for me.”

“He’s a crafty fighter, so I have to make sure I’m on my game, play it smart, and use my strengths against his weaknesses and I feel like I’ve got the ability to knock him out.”

Kotani (33-10-7) is returning to the UFC for the first time since 2007, armed with a 13 fight winning streak.

Parke (19-2-1), meanwhile, has gone undefeated in ten straight bouts and is coming off a majority draw versus Leonardo Santos.

UFC FN 46 will be hosted by Dublin’s O2 Arena and will be broadcast in North America via UFC Fight Pass.