MMA Reporter

As a fan, it's easy to let your heated emotions take control and cause you to unjustly lash out at an athlete that seems to be squandering his career opportunities. Such is the case for Karo "The Heat" Parisyan.

As you may all know, Parisyan recently pulled out of his UFC 106 bout with the returning Dustin Hazelett.

At first, it was unclear as to why, as no details were given, but the lack of information didn't stop passionate fans from tearing into Parisyan with little compassion.

Details did finally surface, and it appears that Parisyan has had a very difficult time kicking his addiction to painkillers.

So instead of carrying out the fight, only to fail the urine test afterwards, Parisyan decided the best thing to do is to come clean and avoid the post-fight piss test that he would have surely failed.

In my book, that was the smartest move he could of made in the given circumstances, and for that, he has forever earned my respect.

Still, even after the truth came out, Parisyan is receiving heavy criticism at the hands of the fans.

One thing that we need to consider is that, despite being a skilled MMA fighter, Parisyan is still human. When a majority of the fighting community is crashing down on you, it can be very difficult to deal with in your vulnerable times.

It's not like he was taking the pills for pure enjoyment, he got stuck on them while undergoing rehab for his injuries. Parisyan admitted that he wanted to get off of the drugs, but the demon on the shoulder kept bringing him back.

The perfect life that Parisyan had established was seemingly flushed down the toilet, this is drug addiction at it's worst.

Take some time and think about your own personal life, is there anybody that you know in the same situation?

I have friends that have battled drug addiction, some coming away victorious while the others fell prey to their deadly vice. It is a very sad situation that only gets worse when your supposed loved ones turn their back on you. I have seen that happen firsthand and knows how it can be equally painful for the loved ones surrounding the victim.

So, I implore all of you to take a moment and think about what Karo Parisyan is going through. Despite blowing a number of second chances, Parisyan still needs all of our support and prayers.

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DingoBrigade

I will always like Karo as a figther and I do feel bad for the guy. Fighting seems like the least of his concerns right this second.

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I heart Jazzy B. White.
Indianamat.com

Zapp Brannigan

I've lost my taste for Karo's fighting and his seeming unwillingness to fight for a finish, but I certainly feel some sympathy for his addiction. I wish him luck in conquering his demons. That said, as a fan of MMA, I'm pretty pissed off with him right now. By waiting this long to drop out, he's prevented me from seeing on of my favorite young fighters.

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"I've made it with a woman. Inform the men."

Brands: Metcalf! What is good in life?

Metcalf: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

DingoBrigade

Not much of a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Lots and lots of MMA recently.

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I heart Jazzy B. White.
Indianamat.com

Zapp Brannigan

True, it's not a humongous deal for most, but like I said, as an individual I'm a big fan of McLovin, and he's been out awhile with an injury, so it'a bigger deal for me then it is for most.

Anywho, how impressed were you by Aldo, Dingo? That was impressive against Brown.

__________________
"I've made it with a woman. Inform the men."

Brands: Metcalf! What is good in life?

Metcalf: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

quinn14

I like Karo and wish him well. But living within 5 miles of Jorge Gurgel's academy in West Chester, Ohio, I am disappointed for not getting to see Hazelett fight. It is an incredible facility and I root for all of their fighters. Any idea which undercard is stepping up to fill the bill?

Pimach

interesting that while Karo has a painkiller addiction that he possibly developed while fighting for and in the UFC, Danas reaction is to say kick him out for good, so much for "taking care of our guys"

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Like Billy Jacks' soul attack, I'm one Injun you wont forget.

www.euromitsu.com

Zapp Brannigan

LOL. Keep on stretching.

__________________
"I've made it with a woman. Inform the men."

Brands: Metcalf! What is good in life?

Metcalf: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

p-jersey

My problem with karo is not that he is addicted to pain killers, its how irresponsible he is with handling his issues.

The first time he got busted, he failed to tell the commission about the painkillers until after his fight. At that point he tried to claim ignorance and didnt think to tell them beforehand.

Now he seems to have several excuses again, one excuse was not being able to pay the fine. The other was the pain killer addiction. He should have addressed both these issues with the ufc well in advance. At the very least they could have had a replacement fighter lined up in case he was not able to go for whatever reason. This is the second time a fighter got screwed over (yoshida got scratched at ufc 88) after training for months, and even though they got paid by the ufc probably lost out on sponsorhip money as well as any travel expenses of friends in family who came intown to watch.

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Denver, CO-Wrestling

gjfovf

You obviously aren't a drug addict, if you were the way he handled it would seem perfectly logical. Deny, conceal, hit bottom.. BTW, yes I have experience in this area. 13 years clean and sober.

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"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."