Parisyan vs Kim – Underdog Anyone?

In just a short period of time, it all seemingly came apart for Karo Pairsyan. The Armenian welterweight was perhaps one win away from a long-sought title shot against Georges St-Pierre going into his fight with Thiago Alves.

Pairsyan was fighting a competitive fight with the up-and-coming star, but he made a crucial mistake when he went in for a takedown and got drilled in the face with a knee, knocking him out cold.

Following that disappointing loss was the news that Pairsyan suffered from panic attacks, and later withdrew from a match against Yoshiyuka Yoshida and his future in the UFC was suddenly in question.

Now, Pairsyan is finally ready to test himself in the Octagon yet again and faces a tough task against fellow judo specialist Dong Hyun Kim. On top of that, Parisyan is battling what has the makings of a nasty cold going into the fight and might even decide to withdraw.

If Parisyan does fight, however, he is still most likely going to be the favorite on betus.com. The current odds have Parisyan at -350 to +250 for Kim.

Kim comes into the fight unbeaten but wasn’t too impressive in his last bout against Matt Brown at UFC 88, winning a split decision. The Korean will need to fight at maximum efficiency to defeat Parisyan.

While Parisyan is not known for knocking people out, he is always extremely competitive and usually does well on the judges’ scorecards with his impressive judo throws and powerful punches. His judo throws are often breathtaking and unique in the world of MMA and they score big points when executed properly even if they don’t always do a ton of damage. They do give Parisyan the opportunity to control the fight and stay in good position. Lately, Parisyan has attempted to work more ground and pound into his game but he still seems to be missing that extra element that would make him a true title contender.

Kim has had 4 of 11 fights go to decision with one draw thrown in during his MMA career, and he also prefers to ground and pound opponents, which might be his best chance of beating Parisyan and finishing the fight if Kim gets the opportunity.

The key in this fight might be the clinch game, and Kim has the ability to use reversals and takedowns to take Parisyan out of his comfort zone in this one, although it won’t be easy.

Considering the uncertainty and potential sickness of Parisyan, Kim seems like a solid upset bet at UFC 94 because he should come into this fight confident and eager to prove himself. He also seems to match up fairly well with Parisyan.

While Parisyan is worthy of being the favorite in this one if healthy, betting on Kim at UFC 94 seems like a smart idea this weekend because it could pay off big-time.