At age 14, Karo Parisyan was the epitome of a modern-day warrior.
While most kids were hanging out with friends and playing video games, Parisyan was stepping into an MMA ring and fighting grown men.
In the video preview of the upcoming Worldwide Mixed Martial Arts (WMMA) event, “The Heat” reminisced on his earlier years in the sport.
“I was 14, alright, one-four,” he said. “There was a show in Tijuana, Mexico. I’m 14 years old. How many 14-year-olds do you know that go to Mexico to fight MMA, and I’m fighting a 23-year-old man that’s 10-0 in MMA, pride and joy of Mexico, 170 pounds, chiseled, and I’m fighting this guy, and I’m 14, bare knuckle.”
Most grown men tremble at the mere thought of stepping into a ring or cage, but according to Parisyan‘s trainer Gokor Chivichyan, Karo never backed down from any opponent. He didn’t let fear dictate his actions.
The attending audience had to be pretty confident and worried that their hometown hero would destroy his 14-year-old adversary. The bout had catastrophe written all over it.
How could a child possibly survive against a grown man in a fist fight?
“These guys look at each other like, ‘Oh God, we have to sign some paperwork, like if you literally die, we’re not responsible’,” Parisyan said. “And here, I go in the ring, and I fight this guy for five rounds and I beat the crap out of him. Then it was to the Olympic trials [in Judo] or make a career out of [fighting], and I made a career out of [fighting].”
In the end, Parisyan chose the right path.
His fighting career eventually led him to the bright lights of the UFC, where he ascended the welterweight ranks as one of the top fighters in the world.
This all seems ages ago to present-day fans. Currently on a three-fight skid, Parisyan hopes to salvage his dwindling career at WMMA on Saturday night.
He is slated to face Thomas “The Wildman” Denny in a bout that could make or break any hopes of making it back to the UFC, and the fighter knows its significance.
“This is a big opportunity for me to show people that I’m back,” he said.
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