By Brett “The Conqueror” Beverly
Another win, another plead for a tile shot from Karo Parisyan.
Yes, it’s true that Parisyan was set to fight Matt Hughes for the welterweight title at UFC 56. It is also true that Karo has never gotten another opportunity to fight for the title since, and he doesn’t want anyone, and I mean ANYONE, to forget it.
At 18-4, Karo Parisyan is one of the best fighters in the world at 170lbs. The former Judo champion even owns a victory over current welterweight champion Matt Serra.
Since 2003, when Karo made his UFC debut, only two fighters have been able to get the best of “The Heat,” George St. Pierre and Diego Sanchez. His tenacity and trademark throws have made Karo one of the most dominant fighters in his weight class and one tough fights in all of MMA.
Yet, tough is one thing, great is another. When faced with the prospect of a top 10 welterweight, Karo crumbles. Five times in his career “The Heat,” has faced a fighter who, according to MMA weekly, is worthy of being considered one of the ten best welterweights in the world; Karo is 2-4 in those fights.
Loses to Sean Sherk (2), Georges St. Pierre and Diego Sanchez have shown a man unable to win the big fight. But that’s not the only kink in Karo’s armor.
In a sport where the ability to finish a fight is the trait of a champion, Karo’s has no belt. Six of Parisyan’s eight victories have been the result of the judge’s scorecard. While he’s been dominating in victory, his fights have shown his ability, “not to lose”, instead of winning.
This is not to say that Karo Parisyan is not a good fighter, he is. The only point I’m trying to make is that he’s not the man he thinks he is. Someone who claims he should have a title shot after defeating Josh Burkman should reevaluate who he is as a fighter.
With the skills he poses, a change of attitude and strategy might be take Parisyan to the top.
Overrated? No. Few people see Parisyan as more that a really good fighter, overhyped might be a better description.
I would like to dedicate this article to a quote Karo Parisyan said on The Ultimate Fighter Reality Series, ” Do you know who I am?” (said to Nate Diaz after an equally stupid scuffle.)
CONQUEROR’S NOTE: As much as I wanted to see the Nanny (Matt Serra) get his ass kicked by Matt Hughes, a GSP vs. Hughes PPV is much more enjoyable. Think about it, Serra would have lost by getting taken down. It’s doubtful that he would have gotten TKO’d because of his Jujitsu, As much as I wanted to see him lose, I’m relieved to see GSP getting another shot. Hype is one thing, actual fights are another. With the UFC Canadian debut right around the corner, I’m glad to see that the UFC has the balls to throw GSP back out there.
