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By: Jason Bent, MMATorch Columnist The second bout of the evening is a crossroads match in the welterweight division and will determine if Karo Parisyan is capable of getting back to the top of the division with hopes of challenging for the title, and if Dong Hyun Kim is capable of getting to the next level and handling an opponent of Parisyan's ability. Karo Parisyan is a superstar judoka and Dong Hyun Kim is a powerful striker, and with this we have a grappler vs. striker sort of match up which could be one of the more solid bouts on the card. This fight is not the flashiest of those on the card but these two men are definitely fighting for a place in their division; and as such we should see both pull out all stops in hopes of getting both a victory over a top opponent as well as making an impression on the large audience which will be taking in this event on Saturday night.
Karo Parisyan is a judoka who has actually found a way to make judo viable in the world of no-gi fighting which is modern MMA. He has never developed into a world-class striker, but his hands are good enough, while it is his takedown ability which puts him at the top of the class. Not too long ago it seemed as if Parisyan was on the fast track to a title shot, and his name was routinely mentioned in the same breath as other top contenders, but in an instant this all disappeared and he finds himself now fighting to remain relevant while still only 26 years old. He was picking up steam before being upset by Diego Sanchez, and with a win over Kim on such a high profile card he could catapult himself back into prominence once more.
Karo Parisyan sports a record of 18-5 with 9 of these victories coming by way of submission and the other 9 by way of decision with zero knockouts on his resume. He has really only been stopped once by Thiago Alves at 'UFC Fight Night 13,' but many felt this stoppage was a bit early. Of his 18 wins he has recorded victories over such fighters as Josh Burkman, Matt Serra, Chris Lytle and Nick Diaz. His losses have come at the hands of Thiago Alves, Diego Sanchez, Georges St. Pierre and Sean Sherk. While this is impressive in that only the very best have been able to come away with a victory, it is also telling that he has been so unsuccessful each time he has stepped up to the next level of competition. Dong Hyun Kim may not be a fighter on the level of the aforementioned names, but he could be one day, and a victory over him would serve Parisyan quite well as he tries to bounce back and return to form.
Dong Hyun Kim is known as the "Stun Gun" and is 2-0 in the UFC, with his most recent victory being the disputed split decision victory over Matt Brown at UFC 88. Kim is a dangerous striker who throws wicked elbows but is also more than capable of taking down his man as well. His game is predominately striking, and this is where he is not only successful but most comfortable; and this should not change until an opponent forces him to do something else. Karo Parisyan is just the fighter to make Kim adjust his game plan, and it will be interesting to see what he can do if he is unable to get his shots off and keep this one standing. Right now Kim is considered to be a good prospect but there are many questions surrounding him, especially so after Matt Brown gave him a run for his money, but a win over an established veteran such as Karo Parisyan would turn him from a prospect into a contender.
Dong Hyun Kim's MMA record stands at 11-0-1 with 6 wins coming by way of knockout and only 1 by submission. Kim looks to land his punches and elbows first, and so far this has brought him much success and he has not had to really focus on his ground game much at all. His UFC debut at UFC 84 was impressive as he obliterated Jason Tan with elbow strikes in the 3rd round to get the victory, but it was the manner in which he won and not the caliber of opponent defeated that made a statement. He would return to the Octagon at UFC 88 to face Matt Brown in what was his first exposure to the bulk of the UFC audience, as their fight opened the PPV and this performance raised many more questions than it answered. Kim looked good early on and was giving Brown much trouble, but he gassed out early and not only allowed Brown back into the fight but in my opinion gave it away with his poor performance down the stretch. He notched the victory but looked to be in need of much seasoning, and as if he might be better suited to have started out in the WEC as was originally planned.
Both Parisyan and Kim have many questions to answer, and this fight should leave none of them unanswered once it is over. Karo Parisyan had to drop out of UFC 88 due to a back injury, and he needs to show that this is not going to have lingering effects and that he can return to being the fighter he once was. Back injuries have a tendency to change a fighter, and most times these are managed and not entirely healed, so it will be interesting to see just how he looks coming off such an injury. Karo was once considered next in line for a title shot, and he desperately needs the win to prove he is going to be capable of being more than just a gatekeeper in the future. As for Dong Hyun Kim, he is going to need to show marked improvement since his victory over Matt Brown and give us a performance that makes us forget about how he faded down the stretch in that fight. This fight with Parisyan will determine if he is ready for prime time. Kim is 27 years old, and while this isn't old at all it also isn't young enough that we are left to wonder how good he could be in the next eight years, as his career would probably be over by then. One man must show what he has left and the other must show us how much more he is capable of, and this is going to be a test for both.
For Karo Parisyan to win this fight he is going to have to avoid Kim's strikes and do his best to change the complexion of the fight by getting this one to the ground early. Karo is a very aggressive fighter with a ton of experience and I see no reason to suggest he will not be able to throw his opponent around from the start of the first round, but he is going to have to work hard to keep him there and control all of the action. Parisyan should look to press the action and wear his man down as it is likely that Kim's cardio has not improved dramatically. It would be nice for Karo to look good in victory, but right now he just needs to win regardless of how good it looks; and his goal should be to grind out a workmanlike decision on the ground while showing he can nullify Kim's stand-up game.
For Dong Hyun Kim to win this fight he is going to have to keep this fight on the feet. Kim is going to need to turn this one into a kickboxing match and use his reach advantage to avoid getting caught in a clinch and unceremoniously tossed to the ground. A stand up fight favors Kim, but the key to being able to keep this one on the feet is going to be the Korean's cardio, as he is going to need to be able to stay active and use every bit of the Octagon to control his opponent. If he tires it could easily spell disaster as he could find himself on his back in an instant and that is one place he does not wish to be if he plans on winning the fight. He is going to have to use his strikes to do damage and hopefully frustrate Parisyan into losing his head and making an aggressive mistake. Kim can ill afford to go the distance with a veteran like Parisyan, and should be looking to do as much damage as he can while remaining out of harm's way with hopes that he can find a way to finish him off.
Bent's Prediction: Karo Parisyan by Unanimous Decision
I like Kim early on and feel he is going to come out with a lot of energy and do some early damage, but Karo will eventually get in, get him down and wear him down. By the third round this one should be Parisyan's fight to win and the veteran should have more then enough left to take care of business. I don't think this fight will tell us enough about whether or not Karo can be back to his old form, but with a win in this one he should get a chance to show us more in his very next fight.
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