By Mike Russell
(Parisyan says he’s motivated to beat Smith and get back on the winning track.)
Karo “The Heat” Parisyan (19-7) will take on Jordan “Mata Ele” Smith (15-2-1) September 14 at the upstart Amazon Forest Combat promotion’s first event in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
Parisyan informed CagePotato.com last night that the bout agreements for the fight have been signed and said that he’s excited to get back out and put on an even better performance than he did in his last outing in May at MMA Live 1 against Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford in London, Ontario, Canada. He was winning the fight heading into the third round, having controlled the action using takedowns and his trademark judo throws, but was caught with a well-timed knee by the Canadian welterweight standout who recently signed with Bellator and the bout was stopped due to a cut. The heartbreaking loss left a bad taste in Parisyan’s mouth and motivated him to up his training intensity while awaiting word of his next bout.
As we reported in June, the Armenian judoka texted Dana White to let the UFC president know that he was willing to step in for Nate Marquardt at UFC Live on Versus 4 on short notice after the Team Jackson’s fighter wasn’t cleared to face Rick Story because of high levels of testosterone which were a result of a mistimed testosterone replacement injection. Charlie Brenneman got the fight, but Parisyan’s offer likely gained him some respect in the eyes of White, who cut the beleaguered fighter who once struggled with addiction and anxiety for the second time in his career following a disappointing loss to Dennis Hallman at UFC 123 last November.
Karo has since turned the corner and says that he has his demons in check and seems motivated for the first time in a while, which hopefully will mean we’ll soon see a resurgence of “The Heat.” UFC commentator Joe Rogan has said that a motivated Karo Parisyan is a dangerous Karo Parisyan and if his rededication to the sport is any indication, Jordan Smith may be in trouble.
Also on the card will be a middleweight match-up between Japanese Olympic judo gold medalist Saoshi Ishii and former PRIDE standout and WEC 185-pound champion Paulo Filho and Royler Gracie’s final MMA bout against Shooto champion Masakatsu Ueda.
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Amazon Forest Combat 1
September 14, 2011
Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Satoshi Ishii vs. Paulo Filho
Royler Gracie vs. Masakatsu Ueda
Josh Burkman vs. Roan Carneiro
Antonio Braga Neto vs. Maiquel Falcao
Alexandre “Capitao” vs. Shanon Slack
Jordan Smith vs. Karo Parisyan
Ronys Torres vs. Drew Fickett
Lopes Dileno vs. Ian MacCall
George Clay vs. Anthony Birchak