“A win is a win for me, no matter what my opponent’s record is.”
His opponent’s record this week, since he brought it up, is 10-3. Brazilian Gregory Rodrigues will join Park in headlining the prelim card of UFC Fight Night: Costa vs Vettori this Saturday. A heavy hitter with a bushel of knockouts to his credit, Rodrigues welcomes the opportunity to test Park’s iron shell.
“His basics are very good,” Park says of his opponent. “He has a good mind for MMA. If I had to sum it up into one sentiment, I would say he’s someone who understands MMA very well.”
Park is no slouch in his understanding of the sport either, and his 13 pro wins paint a picture of a fighter who is comfortable anywhere. Many espouse being well-rounded, but Park seems to embody it.
“I’m not looking for any particular finish. I know the opportunity will present itself when I force him to make a mistake, and I’ll capitalize on whatever he exposes. I worked a lot on my cardio for this fight. I want to set a pace he can’t keep up with.”
Should he succeed in his endeavor, he’ll be setting a pace in the division that will be difficult to keep up with. Already riding a three-fight win streak into Saturday, he’ll own the third longest active streak if he can leave Las Vegas with the W. Impressive, but at this point in the interview it should come as no surprise that he doesn’t dwell on it much.
“Four wins in a row doesn’t mean much to me. What means a lot to me is that I can keep fighting at a high level in the UFC.”
I’d argue here that one of those things goes hand in hand with the other, but it’s no use. As true sportsman who takes no delight in the misfortune of others, it’s evident that “The Iron Turtle” is a completely different cat.
