A Word About Karo Parisyan's UFC Return

By full-time TLOS listener and part-time TLOS columnist, Barry Pape

Apparently, the UFC is in fact crazy for “The Heat”.

Despite being cut from the UFC after pulling out of a scheduled fight against Dustin Hazelett at UFC 106, Karo Parisyan will get another shot in the octagon. Parisyan is tentatively scheduled to face Dennis Hallman at UFC 123 this November.

The popular welterweight, with a career record of 19-5 with 1 no contest, is one of the best fighters to have competed in the welterweight division, with victories over such names as Nick Diaz, Matt Serra, and show favorite Chris Lytle, but his issues with anxiety has always been what has undone him at exactly the most inopportune times. Parisyan pulled out of the Hazelett fight two days before the fight, and that combined with his victory over Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 94 being changed to a no contest led to rumors about him.

After being cut from the UFC following his pulling out of the fight against Hazelett, Parisyan was interviewed by Josh Gross for the “Gross Point Blank” podcast. During the over hour long interview, Parisyan went in depth into his anxiety and how debilitating it is for him.

In such an alpha male, testosterone driven sport like MMA, it was a rare glimpse into the fighter’s person psyche and showed a level of vulnerability that most fans assume that at top level competitor like Parisyan just cannot have. By showing how much his anxiety affected his personal life, it made Parisyan seem more like a regular Joe and made him infinitely more likeable than he was already.

Apparently, the time away from the UFC hasn’t been put to bad use. Parisyan recently beat Ben Mortimer at the Impact FC: The Uprising show in Brisbane, Australia. Getting that win showed that Parisyan still is one of the best in the welterweight division, and that he should be back at the top level organization in the world.

Here’s hoping that the added spotlight of the octagon does not rattle “The Heat”.