Issue 030

October 2007

KARO PARISYAN IS GUNNING FOR GOLD

By Jatinder Dhoot

After seven straight victories in the UFC Octagon, Hollywood native Karo ‘The Heat’ Parisyan wants his shot at the gold. Despite being just 25 years old, the Tinseltown resident with Armenian roots boasts a decade’s worth of MMA experience. Beginning his career at age 14 by fighting in Tijuana, Mexico, Parisyan has never looked back on his path of fighting. His journey into martial arts began at age 6, when his family moved to Hollywood from Armenia. Over the years, Parisyan’s parents would notice that he was an active and aggressive lad, enjoying punching bags, objects and people, including his sister! Parisyan’s father enrolled him in judo to give his aggression an outlet, and his odyssey into the grappling world of Gokor Chivichyan and legendary martial artist Gene Lebell began at age 9.

The fiery aggression that burnt so fiercely in Parisyan as a youngster is still there over a decade and a half later. It’s something clearly visible in his fighting style, and the passion his brings to the cage. His moniker ‘The Heat’ fits perfectly – whether it’s swinging wildly for the fences, vicious ground and pound, or delivering free air service to his opponents via his high-amplitude judo throws – Parisyan is bringing the heat for the full fifteen minutes. “I’ve shown people that I have hands, I’ve shown people that I have submissions, I’ve shown people that I have brutal ground and pound,” comments Parisyan. “Obviously everybody knows I have vicious throws; so put that all together and that’s one deadly package.”

Drama is the key word when it comes to the deadly package that is Karo Parisyan. Win, lose or draw, you’re never going to see a boring fight when he’s involved. His debut in the Octagon wasn’t just a win, but one of the most spectacular submission finishes in MMA history: a rolling kimura that dazzled the Vegas crowd. On the other side of the spectrum, we can point to his loss to Diego Sanchez. Despite losing the bout via a razor close decision, it was regarded by many as fight of the year. “It’s very obvious I got hit in my eyeball right off the bat and lost my sight, I had to come back,” recalls Parisyan. “It was fucked up, very, very bad.”

Many others would have folded under such circumstances, but Parisyan gutted it out and refused to walk through the door that referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy held open for him. “John McCarthy noticed how much pain I was in, it was pretty bad,” says Parisyan. But when McCarthy questioned him on a couple of occasions during the bout if he was ready to quit, Parisyan shook his head with an expression of disgust at the thought. “Twice he said, ‘You want out? you want me to stop it? Tell me and I’ll stop it’,” explains Parisyan. “I said, ‘no fuck this, I’m going to go on.’” It was a good thing he did, as it allowed for a classic battle to unfold. Intense exchanges on the feet, aggressive ground and pound, judo tosses with Sanchez landing on his head, and one of Parisyan’s teeth knocked flying from his mouth – all in a day’s work for ‘The Heat’.

Entertainment aside, don’t expect to get away with not giving Parisyan respect, or else he’s going to make sure he gets it from you. It’s no surprise that he’ll do things like take a mid-fight moment out of his war with Matt Serra to flip off the current welterweight champ’s cornerman Renzo Gracie for allegedly making negative comments. Parisyan’s worked real hard to get where he’s at and he doesn’t want anyone trying to compromise his integrity. “Nothing has come easy for me, I’ve always busted my ass to get somewhere,” notes Parisyan on his success in MMA and judo.

And then there was the infamous incident on The Ultimate Fighter 5, with Parisyan getting into a war of words and within a hair’s breadth of getting into a street scrap with Nate Diaz, which showed the no-nonsense attitude he takes when it comes to being disrespected. It’s the dual sides of his character that make Parisyan such an entertaining and interesting fighter. He’s a fun-loving, affable and humble person, but if you disrespect him you’re likely to set off dynamite that’s ready to destroy whatever is in its path. That aspect of him can be unleashed in the cage, which can be big trouble for opponents. “As far as me walking into the cage and fighting someone, I don’t have any animosity,” notes Parisyan on his professionalism as an athlete. “When they hit me that’s when I get awake, and that’s when it becomes really personal.”

Parisyan wouldn’t mind getting a second shot at those who have hit him in the face repeatedly. An opportunity to tangle again with Diego Sanchez is one he relishes. “The funny thing was I was supposed to fight Diego again,” says Parisyan. “But I broke my thumb in the Burkman fight, I couldn’t fight Diego at the time and needed more time to heal my hand up.” However, he wouldn’t mind damaging it again if it’s on Sanchez’s skull. “If I fight Diego, I’m going to try and annihilate him,” says Parisyan. “I really want to try to hurt him, cut him, open his face up.” It’s a fight that he admittedly should have taken more seriously, and would love to have a chance to avenge. “I took Diego a little too lightly,” confesses Parisyan. “I barely trained for the fight, I was just training to cut weight, not training to get in shape,” he says on one of only two losses in 6 years (his other a decision loss to Georges St. Pierre).

When it comes to the former UFC welterweight champion St. Pierre, that’s a bout Parisyan would be get up for instantly. Despite having the utmost respect for the welterweight star, if he has the chance to avenge the loss to St. Pierre (back in January 2004) Parisyan is going to get in full-throttle attack mode. “I like St. Pierre, I’m good buddies with Georges, no animosity between us, he’s a class act,” says Parisyan. “But even if I get my chance to get St. Pierre, my goal is to hurt St. Pierre bad – I’d be looking to hurt Georges very, very badly.” Images of the unanimous decision loss, which include some tough ground and pound from the Canadian, are still clear in Parisyan’s memory banks. “[The] first time in my life I get a three-stitch cut right over my eyebrow, and no one has ever cut me,” recalls Parisyan. “This time I’m going to cut him, and cut him bad in a way that he won’t get up.”

While revenge is a sweet thought for Parisyan, it’s not foremost on his mind – gold is. The UFC welterweight strap is what keeps the 25-year-old veteran with over 20 fights going. He had a chance in late 2005 for a title shot against Matt Hughes, but an injury prevented Parisyan from competing. He’s desperately wanted another crack ever since. “I’m top five in the world,” explains Parisyan on where he stands at welterweight. “I want my title shot eventually, but it takes a while to get up that ladder.” He is confident that when he gets his chance he can capitalise on it. “Eventually, God willing, I’ll get the title someday,” says Parisyan. “Hopefully soon because I can beat anybody in the top five – I am top five and I can beat anybody in the top five and there will come a day where I will beat each and every one of them.”

He’s careful not to come across as cocky, but Parisyan certainly is forthright in believing in his abilities. If he’s in pristine condition, his faith in himself is unwavering. “I honestly, truly believe if I’m in shape, and usually I come in shape for a fight, nobody can beat me at 170lbs,” asserts Parisyan. “Nobody has my skill set.” It is undeniable that Parisyan has a somewhat unique fighting style. While most fighters have been able to incorporate the standard Muay Thai, wrestling and BJJ triad into their arsenal, the judo aspect that Parisyan so effectively brings to the cage can be a juggernaut of epic proportions for his opponents.

It appears you really can’t train specifically for Parisyan, because you can’t find a guy that can mimic his style. “No you can’t, as much as I say it and as cocky as it sounds, they can’t,” says Parisyan. “They all try and train for my throws and I’ve thrown everybody I’ve fought with no problem, like a baby.” Everyone that has fought and trained with Parisyan, at some point has gone for a ride. “And if you’re not careful when I slam you, I’ll lock up a submission up or I’ll get in a good position and start unloading big elbows and punches until the fight stops,” he adds.

Parisyan’s ready for his shot right now, but in the meantime his striking will continue to mature until he finally gets his title shot. All aspects of his game are evolving and he trains at Randy Couture’s gym in Las Vegas for his bouts. Improved striking can only make ‘The Heat’ deadlier. “If my stand-up is to another level, I’m going to be a threat anywhere they go,” he comments. “If they want to stand with me I’m going to hurt them standing, if we go to the ground I’m a threat there. Obviously, if it’s the clinch, that’s my bread and butter.”

So Parisyan’s got all bases covered. He’s a game fighter and dramatic inside the cage, and is itching badly for a title shot to prove he’s the best. It’s definitely a dangling carrot that is well within his grasp. The time is rapidly approaching and when it comes, no doubt that he will look to create a classic Hollywood ending.