UFC 162 results/photos: Norman Parke outslugs hard-headed Kazuki Tokudome

LAS VEGAS – In UFC 162's first fight to go to the scorecards, Norman Parke outworked Kazuki Tokudome to earn a unanimous-decision win.

Tokudome rallied late in the fight but lost ground in grappling exchanges and ultimately was shut out on two of the three judges’ tallies.

The lightweight bout was part of today’s event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.

The win was Parke’s first since winning “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Australia vs. Team U.K.” and could have provided him his first octagon knockout had Tokudome’s head not been so hard.

Despite landing several crushing right hands in the second frame, Parke couldn’t put away the Japanese fighter, who outpointed Cristiano Marcello in his octagon debut at UFC on FUEL TV 8.

Perhaps tiring from his early output, Parke put his remaining energy into controlling Tokudome in the clinch and on the ground. A blatant fence-grab aided him in keeping top position in the third frame, though referee Steve Mazzagatti didn’t deduct a point.

Tokudome landed a few good punches in the fight’s waning moments, but Parke was able to keep himself out of danger. The judges’ final scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 in Parke’s favor.

“The game plan was to keep on the back foot and put the pressure on right off the start,” Parke said. “I nearly had him in the second round, but I was forced into grinding the fight out and it was very tough. Very tough. It really means everything to get this win.”

“The first and second rounds were all his pace, his game and I couldn’t do anything,” Tokudome said. “I was happy with the third round and what I was able to do, but I just couldn’t do what I wanted in the first two rounds – and that was the difference.”

Parke (18-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) now extends his winning streak to eight, which includes back-to-back UFC wins, while Tokudome (12-4-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) sees a three-fight winning streak snapped.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 162 results include:

• Norman Parke def. Kazuki Tokudome via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Gabriel Gonzaga def. Dave Herman via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:17
• Edson Barboza def. Rafaello Oliveira via TKO (leg kicks) – Round 2, 1:44
• Brian Melancon def. Seth Baczynski via KO (punches) – Round 1, 4:59
• Mike Pierce def. David Mitchell via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:55

For complete coverage of UFC 162, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

John Morgan contributed to this report on-site in Las Vegas.