UFC veteran Karo Parisyan and Canadian standout Ryan Ford both hit their marks Wednesday for the welterweight main event of Jones Entertainment Group’s “MMA Live 1,” tipping the scales at 171 and 169.4 pounds, respectively.
The co-headliners of the card -- which takes place Thursday at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario, Canada -- also came in on-point, as Pride Fighting Championships veteran Marcus Aurelio (170.6) will meet Nova Scotian Matt MacGrath (170.2).
Parisyan (Pictured; file photo) will compete for the first time since his November ouster from the UFC. The embattled judoka was first released by the promotion in November 2009, when, upon his return from a nine-month suspension for banned painkillers, Parisyan withdrew from a scheduled bout with Dustin Hazelett the day prior.
After submitting Australian Ben Mortimer under the Impact FC banner in July 2010, Parisyan found his way back inside the Octagon. However, after a first-round technical knockout loss to Dennis Hallman, “The Heat” was once more banished by the UFC. The 28-year-old Parisyan has competed only four times in the past three years, going 1-2 with one no-contest.
Ford, 29, has won six of his last seven outings and enters his bout with Parisyan riding back-to-back wins. The former Maximum Fighting Championships standout has gone 3-1 in the last 12 months, falling only to current MFC welterweight champ Douglas Lima while topping UFC vets Pete Spratt and Tom Speer. The Edmonton, Alberta, native holds a mark of 14-3 and has gone the distance only twice in his four-year career.
Jones Entertainment Group “MMA Live 1”
Thursday, May 19
John Labatt Centre
London, Ontario, Canada
Ryan Ford (169.4) vs. Karo Parisyan (171)
Marcus Aurelio (170.6) vs. Matt MacGrath (170.2)
Daniel Langbeen (145.4) vs. Lyndon Whitlock (145.6)
Brent Franczuz (136) vs. David Harris (135.6)
Derek Boyle (155.6) vs. Jason Saggo (155.6)
Theo Toney (156) vs. Alan Wilson (155.2)
James Haourt (146) vs. Chuck Mady (142)
Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Parisyan-Ford-Make-Weight-for-MMA-Live-1-Headliner-32459
