AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Karo Parisyan came back to the UFC with a smile and a hope of resurrecting a career gone terribly off-course, but he left with devastation on his face and his MMA future in doubt.The once-promising welterweight was TKO'd by Dennis Hallman in a disastrous UFC 123 outing that ended in just 1:47 of the first round.
Afterward, UFC president virtually guaranteed it was Parisyan's last time in the octagon.
"Karo Parisyan's going to have to figure out the next chapter of his life," White said in the post-fight press conference.
Of course, White has given Parisyan a second life already. Once a legitimate contender who reeled off wins in seven of eight fights, including victories over Nick Diaz, Chris Lytle and Matt Serra, Parisyan began suddenly suffering from panic attacks that nearly ended his career.
His trouble continued at UFC 94, where he won a fight against Dong Hyun Kim but later tested positive for illegal painkillers and was suspended.
Then at UFC 109, Parisyan pulled out of a scheduled fight with Dustin Hazelett just a day before weigh-ins, causing White to cut him and say he'd never fight in the UFC again.
After 17 months of inactivity, Parisyan won a fight in an Australian promotion before asking White for another chance.
"People asked why I brought him back and everything else," White said. "I get in these positions where I sit here telling you, 'you're fighting for your UFC life.' Then I have guys like Karo Parisyan who have put on a lot of great fights for me over the years. And he falls upon hard times. I'm not going to sit here like a goof and pat myself on the back but I've done a lot of things for him. He's texting me and calling me and I said, "Alright, I'll give this guy one more chance."
But Parisyan was never in the fight, getting dropped early before Hallman finished him off with some ground-and-pound. After he realized what happened, Parisyan angrily slapped the mat and let out an audible yell in frustration.
White said he didn't regret his decision but made it clear that it was Parisyan's only chance.
"I'd never put a guy in harm's way," he said. "I'd never put a guy in the UFC who I didn't think could compete at this level. Karo came in tonight and proved that he can't compete at this level anymore."
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