MMA

Karo Parisyan.

By WEB STAFF

sportsnet.ca

Karo Parisyan has apparently fought his last fight in the UFC.

According to UFC president Dana White's latest messages on his Twitter account (twitter.com/danawhite), Parisyan on Thursday pulled out of his UFC 106 fight. White, suggesting Parisyan disrespected the UFC, the fans and his opponent Dustin Hazelett, cited "a laundry list of excuses."

Parisyan's welterweight meeting with Hazelett Saturday was supposed to mark his return to the Octagon following a suspension for the use of banned painkillers. The Armenian American defeated Dong Hyun by split decision at UFC 94 in January but the result was changed to a no-contest after he tested positive for hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and oxymorphone.

In March, the Nevada state athletic commision fined him $32,000 and gave him a nine-month suspension. Parisyan (26-5 with two no contests) said at the time he had a prescription for all three drugs, but forgot to tell the commission before the bout. He said he didn't remember until he took the urine test, adding the pain pills were for his hamstring and sciatic nerve.

An angry White wrote in a tweet early Thursday afternoon that Parisyan will not be fighting Saturday nor ever again in the UFC. He added, "Let the press ask karo why! Let him explain."

Hazelett, who hasn't fought in over year due to injury, will be paid his full purse (including win bonus), according to White.

NSAC executive director Keith Kizer told Sportsnet's Joe Ferraro that Parisyan was licensed to fight even though he had not yet paid the commission's fine. Parisyan had an agreement to pay the fine from the proceeds from his purse Saturday.

Parisyan was due to make $40,000 against Hazelett, with another $40,000 if he won. Kizer was going to permit Parisyan to take $16,000 out of his show money and $16,000 out of his win bonus -- allowing him to pay just $16,000 in the case of a loss or draw, with the other half to be paid later.

Kizer said Parisyan had been having issues with his leg and had called him last week and again Monday to see what pain medication he was allowed to take. Kizer was surprised by the pullout, saying his understanding was that Parisyan's doctor was going to get in contact with the commission doctor.

He added Parisyan had done the right thing by making the call to the commission about his medication inquiry.

As of 2 p.m. PT Thursday, Parisyan's fight, which was part of the event's main card, had been removed from the listed fight card on UFC.com, though his fighter bio page remained on the website. A previously scheduled preliminary bout between 170-pounders Paulo Thiago and Jacob Volkmann was promoted to the pay-per-view card.

With files from THE CANADIAN PRESS