“His head was like a Water Cooler,” Former opponent reveals the difficulty of fighting UFC veteran Nick Diaz

UFC is the pinnacle of combat sports promotions. As such, it accordingly boasts a plethora of multi-faceted fighters. Ranging from some of the best Muay Thai fighters to the best BJJ practitioners with black belts. It also boasts quite a few Judo artists. Concurrently, that list would not be complete without the inclusion of Karo Parisyan; and later his rival, Nick Diaz. Parisyan began training in martial arts at the age of six and made his promotional debut in 1999.

The Armenian happens to be a black belt in Judo and a 10-time world champ in pro competition. The former welterweight has had many notable slides against numerous names. These include the likes of Matt Sera, Chris Lytle, Josh Koscheck, and Nick Diaz. Speaking on Diaz recently, he nudged –

[On their fight] he started going to the body...It was not about the power; it was about the pace. You hit me. You thought you almost finished me...but I'm up and I'm coming at you...Anyway, his head was like a watercooler! He had a big head.

Kariso Parisyan via JAXXON Podcast

Karo Parisyan faced Diaz at UFC 49: ‘Unfinished Business’; he won in way of a split decision. In combat sports circles, Nick Diaz is famous for his cardio and endurance, which many peers and pundits comment on. So did Parisyan, conversing with Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Bear Degidio. The duo together co-hosts the ‘JAXXON‘ Podcast. According to him, Diaz performed equally well in his ground game, attributed to his immense cardio output.

His output and variable acceleration are something everybody lauds. At The JRE MMA show #2093 with the ‘Sober October Crew’, Joe Rogan commented on this, on beating the legendary Frank Shamrock. Conversely, Parisyan’s Judo skills hold the same value; a long-forgotten legacy.

Judo expert Karo Parisyan explains a misconception

Karo Parisyan is a prominent veteran in the promotion’s history. Moreover, he is famed for introducing the combat bubble to diverse Judo skills and technicalities. Consequently, ‘The Heat’ also considerably became the ‘American Judo Master’ of the promotion.

As of late, Parisyan appeared on the ‘JAXXON‘ Podcast, where he talked about his former rival, Nick Diaz. Furthermore, he also touched roots on both of their prime attributes and on him bringing in Judo and imbibing it with UFC. During the segment, he also cleared up a common misconception about a Judo term.

Parisyan emphasized how most people in the UFC mistake any beautiful Judo throw as ‘Uchi Mata’ when in most cases it is either ‘Harai Goshi’, ‘Hane Goshi’, or ‘O-Goshi’.

As combat sports fans, we often ought to consider WMMA former-bantamweight sensation, Ronda Rousey as the epitome of Judo. As the first American woman Olympic judoka to win bronze at the Summer Olympics, the 12-2 fighter is a prominent name. She is to Judo, what Lyoto Machida is to the essence of Karate. However, it was Parisyan who introduced it a decade earlier in UFC. He even once overtly hinted as much, on bringing judo to the table in MMA.

And with the instance above, we can see why.

Uchi Mata (内股), ‘Harai Goshi’ (払腰), ‘Hane Goshi’ (跳ね腰), and ‘O-Goshi’ (大腰) happen to be prominent throws that the veteran knows by heart. Uchi mata is the most famous of all. Karo Parisyan happens to be an avid practitioner and knowledge trove in the field of all things Judo. While he parted ways with UFC in late 2010, his skill set and legacy are still very much intact.

In case you missed it:

• Nick Diaz Net Worth, MMA Career, Income, Personal life, massive earnings, and more
• Best Strikers in UFC history: Ten fighters with skillful mastery of stand up fighting

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