Bad Situations: An MMAmania.com interview exclusive with Karo 'The Heat' Parisyan

Back in 2006, Karo Parisyan was on a collision course with a welterweight title shot. "The Heat" was riding a five-fight win streak, including wins over Matt Serra, Nick Diaz and Chris Lytle. He was practically a shoe-in. But first, the UFC said he'd have to get past a young up-and-coming fighter named Diego Sanchez. One tooth later, "Nightmare" earned the unanimous decision victory, leaving Parisyan back at square one.

More determined than ever to prove he deserved a title shot, "The Heat" returned to action, wracking up three more wins in the process in the ever-expanding and ever-crowded welterweight division. Once again, there was talk of a title shot. And once again, Parisyan would have to first test himself at Fight Night 13 against another young fighter.

This time, it was Thiago Alves.

Again, Parisyan found his grasp on a title shot slipping through his fingers, when in the second round "The Pitbull" was able to do something that no other fighter before him was able to do - not Georges St. Pierre, not Sean Sherk, and not Sanchez: Finish Karo Parisyan.

During the fallout from the fight, the question was asked a thousand times: Did referee Steve Mazzagatti end the fight too early? Parisyan seemed to recover immediately. No matter where you side on the call, controversy continues to surround Mazzagatti concerning questionable calls in fights like the Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir UFC 81 fight, among others.

In fact, Dana White once said of Mazzagatti, "He's a nice guy, but he's not a referee."

Not that it mattered. Parisyan was still left, once again, on the outside looking in. Despite the impressive 8-3 UFC record, if he wanted that title shot, he was going to have to start all over again and work his way back up.

Which brings us to today. Well, Saturday night, actually.

That's when Parisyan (18-5) will begin his long road back to redemption, at UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. "The Heat" faces another promising young fighter in Dong Hyun Kim (11-0-1) and will look to end "Stun Gun's" two-fight UFC win streak.

We caught up with Parisyan to ask him about his upcoming fight, and boy did we get our money's worth. He held nothing back when discussing everything from Mazzagatti's stoppage of the Alves fight, his workout regimen, his new strength and conditioning coach and his ongoing battle with a panic disorder.

Then again, when you're talking to "The Heat," you can expect nothing less.

Let's get after it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I've read that you are now working with a full-time strength and conditioning coach. Is this a change that's new for this fight, or have you been working with him for some time now?

Karo Parisyan: This is a change for my entire career, brother. I've never taken the fight game very serious. I've always fought based on what God gave me, thank God, and how I've trained until age 22. I have trained my ass off until age 22 - I'm almost 27 now - for the last five years I haven't really trained that much.

So I got a strength and conditioning coach about a month and a half ago. His name is Steve Campbell. He's the strength and conditioning coach for James Toney, the boxer. I had about 10 to 11 sessions with him, but his sessions are insane, bro. He kicks ass. The last session I had was a straight conditioning session. I went through it. He told me that I'm an animal. I'm a beast. I'm ready for the fight, so it's working out good for me so far, thank God.

But on the next fight (after this upcoming one) - hopefully there will be a next fight ... I started working with him pretty late, so we will have a whole two-and-a-half-month, about 10 - 12-week program we should do. So I'll be more cut and more in shape.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're now a member of Greg Jackson's camp out in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is that right?

Karo Parisyan: Yes, technically I am. Greg came out this weekend for about four days. He was cornering Donald Cerrone in San Diego (at WEC 38). We talked a little bit over the phone, we had some trouble to see each other, but ... technically I'm on the camp.

The last time I was on the camp, we didn't really get to train that much together. I got injured before the fight, and he never got to corner me. So this is a first-time deal. He's going to corner me. I hope everything goes well, we're gonna go to battle together.

And if everything goes well, I will start training with them, they will start training (here in California) with me, and we'll keep on going back and forth. As soon as I get the panic attacks under control, and I have already.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Good. I was going to ask you about that. I had read that you've been prescribed medication for it, but you are trying to deal with (the panic attacks) without taking the medication. Is that correct?

Karo Parisyan: Yes sir. I got prescribed medication a long time ago. They gave me Xanax. I had heard of Xanax, but I didn't know what it was exactly. People used to do it just to feel high about it. They gave me Xanax, and I swear to God, never have I ever took Xanax when I was having a panic attack.

First of all, this is the funniest thing right now. To myself, I was thinking if anybody else asks me that question how (am) I going to answer, because somebody else gave me that question on the UFC page. I did an interview, and they asked me, "You didn't take the pills?" And (I was thinking about) what I was going to say a second time. And the deal is, right now you called me and you've given me the same question.

Why I didn't take them - because I wasn't having a panic attack, (but) I was so crazy about what was going on with me, what I'm gonna do, etc., etc. I was like, well, I have medication for that, but I'm scared. I don't want to take that fucking medication right now, just because it might make it worse for some reason. I was just trying to deal with the panic attacks, so I never took medication.

And if it happens, God forbid, please God forbid, then I'll probably pop a Xanax, and it'll probably put me to sleep or something. I don't know what it does.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): (Laughs) I don't know either. But it's very good to hear you're seeing progress on that front.

Karo Parisyan: I'll just tell ya this. In the past ... after the Yoshida fight and all that stuff, and I didn't get the chance to fight ... I (hadn't) had a panic attack even before that. I haven't had a panic attack for about five or six months. So I'm praying to God.

But I know what triggers it, though. When I leave town and (am) in hotel rooms, I'm by myself. I start feeling weird. But I've been to Vegas, I've been out. Within that six months, I had meetings with Dana White, Lorenzo (Fertitta), I was out on the town. But I never got a panic attack, so I'm praying to God I will not get a panic attack before the fight.

I'm in good shape, I'm coming mentally strong. And for the first time in my life - I never disrespect my opponents, I never will - but I'm ready to put Dong Hyun Kim in some bad situations. I want to get a violent victory, swear to God.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well let's talk about Kim for a second. He's a fellow judo practitioner. He's gained a large following in his native Korea. He's been a sparring partner of Yushin Okami, so I think it's safe to say he's a tough competitor.

But in his last fight against Matt Brown, he looked to have nearly gassed himself out in the second round. He barely squeaked out the decision victory. I think even Joe Rogan said that he thought Matt Brown had won. What do you have in store for Kim, come Saturday?

Karo Parisyan: Truth is, bro, I think he knows he's fighting me. And he knows I'm a seasoned veteran. I can't tell you I'm a great fighter, but I've been around the block a couple of times. He's going to come in good shape, he's going to come mentally prepared and strong.

Everybody that I fight, they're in the best shape of their life. Because they know that (sarcastically) Karo is apparently the gatekeeper, and if you pass Karo Parisyan, you're a contender, which kinda makes me sad, and makes me angry. But that's what they think, and this guy's going to try to do the same thing to me, and I'm going to try everything I can to beat him up.

If he comes in the same shape as he did the Matt Brown fight, bro, I swear to God I'm going to make a highlight reel out of the kid. I hope he does. But even if he comes in good shape, I'm a more aggressive fighter. No disrespect to Matt Brown - I think he's a great fighter, and I think he did a great performance at UFC 88 in Atlanta - but I think I'm a little stronger than Matt Brown. I have a little more experience, I have more wins than Matt Brown, I'm on a different level. So if Matt Brown gave (Kim) fits, I'm going to give him hell.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Because you haven't fought in nearly nine months, do you think that cage rust is going to be a factor at all?

Karo Parisyan: I live in the real world, my friend. The truth is, I'm not going to lie to you, I should be a little rusty. I haven't been in a cage - I've been in a cage in practice - but I haven't been in a cage for fighting in about a year almost.

But then again, that's never really done anything to me, bro. I don't care about stuff like that, I don't see that. That stuff doesn't play a role with me. I was doing judo for about two-and-a-half years or three years. I came back and on four-days notice, I fought Jason "Mayhem" Miller, and I put a clinic on him. A month and a half later, I fought Antonio McKee. A month and a half later, I fought Fernando Vasconcelos, a two-time world jiu-jitsu champion. It never really mattered for me.

If you're tough - you're in the right mental state, you're a tough kid, you got guts, you got balls - I don't give a shit where you are, what you're doing, you gotta get out there and fight. That stuff, that small stuff, should not be a factor in a professional fighter's world. It shouldn't. But it might, I don't know, I never say never, because nothing is for sure in this world, but I hope it doesn't.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): This is your first fight since losing to Thiago Alves at Fight Night 13 in April. It was a controversial stoppage. I'm sure you've seen the tape by now. Do you think it was ended a little too early?

Karo Parisyan: Listen, man, it's so easy. When a fighter loses a fight, he looks for every excuse out there. He looks for stuff to change people's minds about him. I'm a straight shooter - people hate me sometimes because I'm a straight shooter - but I gotta say how it is. I think that it was stopped a little too early. Give me two more shots on my face. Seal the deal, then stop the fight, Mazzagatti.

Motherfucker, I have been hit by Matt Serra so fucking hard, my neck snapped off the punch. It was the strongest punch - Matt Serra knocked St. Pierre out with the same punch - I caught it on my jaw. And I fell and I recovered. I was on my knee, I fell down.

Literally, (when Thiago Alves knocked me down) I ate two punches on my shoulder, one on my neck, and my arms were up. And they're telling me that I was knocked out. How the fuck was I knocked out, bro, I popped right back up? Did you see the fight, what do you think?

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I thought it was stopped a little too early, to be honest.

Karo Parisyan: Yeah. I'm not saying Thiago wouldn't have won the fight. He probably would have knocked me out cold. He probably would have hit me two more times, and I probably would have gone to sleep, I don't know.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I agree with exactly what you just said. You can't tell what would have happened. Who knows what would have happened, maybe Thiago would have won, who knows? But I think that (Mazzagatti) should have given you at least a few more seconds than he did.

Karo Parisyan: Yeah, because I ate a shot like that from Matt Serra, and I came back, and the third round was a 10 - 8 round. You know what I'm talking about? I'm a veteran, bro, I've been around the block a little bit. I've been fighting since I was 14 years old. I'm a veteran, thank God. Give me a chance to recover, don't stop so quick.

But it was the first time in my life I got stopped. It really killed me, bro, it fucking killed me. I cried like a little girl. I was like, I can't believe this is happening to me. Should I keep on fighting?

But the deal is, I wasn't even in shape for that fight. I hadn't trained for that fight at all. Look at my body. I had love handles sticking out. My chest was flat. It was ugly, bro. But then again, I still thought I could beat Thiago.

But Thiago took the fight very serious, he was in excellent shape, and he beat me, bro, fair and square. I think it was a little premature stoppage. You can never know what can happen. I could have always come back and beat him. I've beaten a lot of guys like that before. I've got hurt before and came back and beat (guys).

But then again, what are you going to do? You can't do anything about it. All I can do is look forward. I can't look back, bro, you gotta look forward. One thing in life that goes up and never comes down is age. Everything else goes up and down. So that's the way you gotta look at life.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You were supposed to fight Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 88. A few hours before the weigh-ins, you had to pull out with, I believe it was a sciatica problem, is that correct?

Karo Parisyan: Yeah, I popped the sciatic nerve bridging a guy on a mount that was 250, my training partner. I'm a fucking idiot, because I'm supposed to be a veteran like I'm saying, and what happens? I don't warm up, and I start rolling lightly during some last-minute (preparation), and I bridge and pop my back.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Is that better now, the nerve problem?

Karo Parisyan: Yeah, it is better, it's fine. I took some shots for it. It was fine a month and a half later, it was perfectly healed. I'm injury free.

But the most important thing with me is mental, bro, just because of the panic attacks. And I'm mentally fine. Mentally, I'm ready to go into battle.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're an 11-fight UFC veteran at just 26 years old, and you've recently signed an 8-fight contract. You seem to have the job security, and you clearly have the drive. What are your goals for the future, both this year, and going into next year?

Karo Parisyan: I would like to get three solid wins this year, and at the beginning of next year, I'd like to get a title shot. I don't know what's going to happen with the title, because if Georges St. Pierre has the title, we're technically in the same camp. We had a talk on the phone, and we're both against fighting friends. So I don't know. I have no idea what's going to happen on that, so we'll see.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What weight do you normally walk around at? Is a cut to 155 or even a move up to 185 out of the question?

Karo Parisyan: Yes. I used to walk around, bro, at 195, 200 pounds. Now I'm walking around no more than 185 - 180, 183, 184. This morning I went for a three-mile run, came back, weighed myself, I was like 172. I'm already on weight. I can be on weight within two hours from now, and I'm fine. I haven't been eating that much, though. I eat a little bit. My eating habits were fucking horrible. I ate a lot of fattening stuff. Now? Like right now, I'll have a bagel, I'll have an OJ. Couple hours later, I'll have protein shake. Tonight I'll have dinner, something nice. You have to eat, though. Eating's the most important.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Could you make the cut to 155, do you think?

Karo Parisyan: No. That's impossible. And I'll tell ya why. Guys who I've fought, you ask them. My muscles are very dense, bro. I have very heavy muscles. I don't look big, but when you touch me, my back and my upper body is very solid. I got a lot of muscle fit into that frickin' place.

And I'm strong enough for 170, that's for damn sure. I didn't think Diego Sanchez was, and he went down to 155, which was a smart move for him.

I don't know, bro. At 155 I will be an anorexic kid. God forbid, I'll look like a cancer patient if I go down to 155. And if I do, man, I will be, seriously, I will be pretty much in title contention within a couple of fights. But 170 I think is my place. We'll see, bro. Maybe we'll be talking about that, but we'll see how it goes.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Who do you like in the UFC 94 title fight: Georges St. Pierre or B.J. Penn?

Karo Parisyan: I love both those guys. Both of them are great fighters, great hearts, good minds, very talented. I think Georges St. Pierre is a self-made man. I think B.J. Penn is kinda like a God-given talent. If B.J. Penn wins, do not - do not - be surprised, ‘cause he definitely has the skill set, he's got everything to beat GSP. But I think GSP might squeak it out just based on physical strength and conditioning. I'm not saying B.J. won't work on his conditioning, but I think GSP is ready for a five-round war, and I think physically he's going to be a little bit stronger than B.J.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Your cousin, Manny Gamburyan, will be fighting Thiago Tavares on the same card. On the surface, this looks like a step up in competition for Manny. What are your thoughts on that fight?

Karo Parisyan: I think that Manny is going to win the fight. I think Manny better win the fight, because it looks really bad for him if he loses the fight. It looks really bad for Thiago if he loses the fight too.

So these guys are going to get out there - the "Anvil" against ... I don't know what Thiago's nickname is. They're going to eat each other alive. I think Manny will squeak it out with his physical dominance. He's physically going to be stronger than Thiago. He'll take him down. He's going to beat him up, ground and pound him, I think.

I don't think there's going to be a knockout or really a submission - maybe a leg lock from Manny? If he goes for a leg, he might finish the leg lock. But I don't think (Thiago) is going to be able to submit Manny at all. The hands are always questionable with Manny, because Manny's never got the really good hands. But you never know, man, you never know what's going to happen. So of course I'm predicting that Manny's going to kick his ass.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well Karo, it's always a pleasure to talk to you. I really appreciate you taking the time out. I wanted to give you an opportunity to thank any sponsors, or if you have any parting words for all the Karo fans out there?

Karo Parisyan: For all the Karo fans, I would say, don't ever give up on "The Heat." I'm going to come back. If I have any haters, I hope you don't hate me anymore. I appreciate all the fans. We would never have the sport. I would never be Karo Parisyan, there would not be a UFC, there would not be any shows if it wasn't for the fans. If fans don't come and don't pay to watch a show, and they're not a fan of the sport, we don't have a show, we don't have a fight, we don't have a career. So I really appreciate everything from the fans.

I'd like to thank one of my sponsors and best friends, AutoMaxLeasing.com. It's a car leasing place, a car broker. He's one of my best friends. I actually am getting Quinton Jackson to buy a car from there pretty soon. He's the best guy in the business.