Karo is putting judo back on the map!!

[judoguy]

I love what this kid is doing for the sport. He is making people look past olympic judo and to NHB. This helps people to train in the MARTIAL ART of judo with the ENTIRE arsenal of chokes, locks, and throws because they will realize that sport judo is not good enough for NHB. Karo and Yoshida have done more to help the evolution ( some would say he is returning judo to it's pre WWII roots) of judo in just a few short years then most can do in their entire career. Kudos to the kid. He beat the crap out of Matt Serra who is not just a BJJ blackbelt, but a WORLD CHAMPION BJJ blackbelt under Renzo Gracie, which makes it all the more sweeter for me. Here is a recap of the fight.

Karo Parisyan vs. Matt Serra

Welterweight Bout

Round One

Serra rocks Parisyan with a right hand as the fight starts. Karo drops. Serra is all over him. He is pounding the judoka. After 30 seconds, Karo works to his feet. Wow, Serrra’s hands look much better than the past. Karo is bleeding from the nose. 3:30 left. They clinch. Karo throws Serra and goes for a kimura. Serra stands and lands two more bombs on the feet. Serra circles. Serra lands a big right leg kick. He taunts Karo with his chin. Karo misses. Another big leg kick by Serra. Karo lands a right hand.

Karo misses with a wild right. Serra counters with a right. Karo waives him in and starts talking trash. Serra responds. This fight seems personal all of a sudden. Karo throws a 1-2, but Serra lands a counter right. Karo misses wildly again. Serra lands another right. Leg kick by Serra. Karo three jabs. Karo left high kick followed by two punches. Serra throws a front kick. Karo catches it and takes him down. Parisyan lands two huge shots in the ground and pound. Serra stands. Parisyan takes his back standing. Serra rolls to the ground. Karo has the mount. Serra rolls to butterfly guard. Parisyan lands good shots. The fighters hug at the end of the round.

Even round.

Round Two

They exchange on the feet early. Karo tries a spinning back kick, but referee Mario Yamasaki halts the action to rid loose tape from Serra’s left glove. They both miss right hands. Karo bodylock, slam. He stacks Serra up, but the BJJ expert throws an up kick. He sits up against the fence and Karo lands a few shots. Serra stands. Karo goes for a takedown, but Serra grabs a guillotine. Karo pulls out, throws him and Serra stands right up. They are in an over-under bodylock. Clinch after missed shots, nothing. Karo misses a high kick.

Renzo Gracie yells instructions and Karo waives him off with a finger – how funny. They trade right hands, but Karo is stalking. 1:30 left. Thai clinch, Karo knee. Karo paws at his foe. Serra lands a right. Karo lands a left hook. Karo locks him up against the fence and takes him down with 55 seconds left. Parisyan pounds from the half guard. Serra sits up as Parisyan tries to pass. Parisyan big elbows from the half guard. Karo pounds down with more elbows. Karo pounds away for the final 10 seconds.

Big round for Parisyan. 20-19 for Parisyan in the fight.

Round Three

Front kick by Karo. Serra misses a right hand. They lock up in the center and Karo throws him. Karo takes his back and is working for an arm bar. Serra rolls to his back. Karo has the arm, but Serra rolls out and stands up. They lock up again. Karo takes him down. Half guard. Karo pounds away and then rests. Karo has the side mount as he passes Serra’s guard. Serra rolls to a turtle position. Karo takes his back and pounds away with hammer fists. Serra rolls over, but Karo stays in the side mount. No, half guard by Serra. Karo pounds away. Karo lands several elbows. This is a very dominant round for Karo. Serra stands up. Karo throws him again. Side mount. Karo rains down punches and opens a cut over Serra’s right eye. He takes Serra’s back and gets a rear-naked choke. Serra rolls out and puts Karo on his back. Karo in his guard and Serra stacks him up. He lands some punches. But it isn’t enough to steal the round.

Karo Parisyan wins by unanimous decision.

[judoguy]

Oh and keep in mind that this is a match of judo as a martial art v bjj as a martial art and not a sport grappling match. If it were a sport grappling match there is no doubt in my mind that Matt Serra would have dominated Karo.

[ravenzoom]

Thanks for the nice description of the fight!!!

[y2_sub]

I'd like to c judo returning back to it's pre WWII state . I think sports version of judo is not what kano wanted judo to be . And that fight sounds formidable , i'd love 2 c it .

[TJS]

his biggest test is going to be how his judo stackes up against someone that he cant physically overpower ala matt hughes.

Karo is one of my favorite fighters to watch but he has had trouble with strong wrestlers in the past ala sean sherk...hopefully we will get a beautiful display of judo vs wrestling if he fights hughes.

[judoguy]

his biggest test is going to be how his judo stackes up against someone that he cant physically overpower ala matt hughes.

Karo is one of my favorite fighters to watch but he has had trouble with strong wrestlers in the past ala sean sherk...hopefully we will get a beautiful display of judo vs wrestling if he fights hughes.

I don't think he can beat Hughes yet. Hughes is the top of the welter weight division food chain and yes, Karo has had big trouble with wrestlers. But on the flipside Karo is a vastly improved fighter then he was when he fight Sherk. Karo's best hope is to not fear hughes and bring it right to him just like BJ Penn did. And I have no doubt that he will be ready. I have seen him train at the hayastan and this kid is INTENSE, but I'd still pick Hughes in a decision. But I will be rooting for Karo.

And by the way I was at the Hayastan 2 weeks ago talking to Gokor and we were chatting about why it was that Karo hadn't been on the main card until UFC 53. He has put out a good showing everytime he was in the octagon even in his lose to St. Pierre so I don't know what gives.

[DokterVet]

I keep reading about this guy but haven't managed to see any of his fights.

[judoguy]

I keep reading about this guy but haven't managed to see any of his fights.

Check out Ufc 44 which was his debut. After pulling off about 3 judo throws, he got a standing kimura, did a nice sumi gaeshi (corner throw) securing the kimura lock and gaining the submission in the first round.

ufc 46 was his second fight in the ufc against Canadian fighter George St. Pierre. This was a lose for Karo but it was also one of the most entertaining fights of the night. After nearly submitting St. Pierre 4 times and pulling off some nice reversals Karo ultimately was beaten with a nice ground and pound strategy by George who is Crazy strong. In one sequence Karo actually had the kimura but St. pierre actually muscled his way out of it! St. Pierre won by decision.

His third fight was in ufc 49 where he took on Gracie jujitsu fighter Nick Diaz who is a Brown belt under Ceaser Gracie. This in my opinion was the best fight of the night. Both fighters pulled off some amazing reversals and displayed great ground work but the difference in this match was Karo's ability to control position, and Diaz's unability to stop the repeated takedows by Karo which ultimately gave him the edge on the scorecards and the victory. In all honesty the fight could have went to either way.

In ufc 51 he took on Chris Lytle and basically dominated him with great judo. He threw Lytle with his famous "Drop Seoi nage", double legs, and with a nasty uchi mata that landed Lytle head first on the ground and just about took all the energy out of him.

And just as I described above he took out Matt Serra in great performance. Now I hear he may get a shot at Matt Hughes but as far as I know this has'nt been officially announced.

Also he has created a set of tapes called "judo for MMA" that show some good stuff for those who are interested.

[TJS]

Nick Diaz is actually a purple belt.

Like I said as a grappling fan I love watchin Karo but he is proabably still in the prelims because onnly one of his fights has ended in somethign other than a decision and the crowd usually dosent like that.

If you noticed in his post fight interview he said he promised lorenzo he would try and end it with a submission.

[judoguy]

Nick Diaz is actually a purple belt.

Like I said as a grappling fan I love watchin Karo but he is proabably still in the prelims because onnly one of his fights has ended in somethign other than a decision and the crowd usually dosent like that.

If you noticed in his post fight interview he said he promised lorenzo he would try and end it with a submission.

Yeah I know, he has had trouble finishing but he still puts on an exciting fight because everytime he steps into the octagon people have that anticipation that they will see something they have never seen before. If he puts butts in seats then you have to put him in the spotlight. How often does Randy or Tito finish? Chuck Liddell is the only fighter who is finishing on a regular basis lately. In the UFC anyway.

And speaking of Tito, whats this rumor I hear about him not fighting in the UFC anymore? Is there any truth to this?