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I’m writing in regards to the recent fine and suspension of Karo Parisyan. Many find it strange that Parisyan was fined $32,000 and yet higher offenders -- specifically those who have tested positive for steroids -- have received lesser fines.
I do not defend Parisyan’s poor judgment in lying on his pre-fight questionnaire, as he knew the trouble such dishonesty would entail. I’m one of his fans, but he knows procedure, and the person who informed him nothing would come of his taking the non-prescribed painkillers was a matter of him being ill informed or just plain careless. It’s curious that the fine is so high, though, and even though he did not take any drugs that could have enhanced his performance, he had the book thrown at him.
One could consider his lying on the pre-fight questionnaire to be a contributing factor in the hefty fine, but even this seems like a stretch. Those who have committed higher offenses have gotten off relatively easy compared to this, though the typical one year suspension for anabolic steroid use is a heavy hit.
Parisyan took responsibility for his actions, but this was ignored by the NSAC in its attempt to bleed as much money as possible from him. This is a way for the commission to make money, plain and simple, and I think it’s repulsive that the commission is willing to strip a fighter of his unstable salary; Parisyan will probably not see competition in 2009.
It’s almost as if the NSAC looks forward to this kind of punishment as a way of funding its agendas. Unless it’s willing to enact such rigid fees for all offending fighters, the NSAC should reconsider its approach entirely. One way this could be done is to have guidelines with specified fines and suspensions for specific offenses. I’m aware there are documents involving guidelines, rules, regulations, prohibited activities/substances on the NSAC Web site, but there’s still plenty of ambiguity to go along with each offense specified.
Parisyan made a mistake; this is obvious. The NSAC’s decision serves as a reminder that two wrongs don’t make a right. Once a fighter is charged with an offense, it’s left up to the commission to decide how it wishes to simply “make up” a punishment and then enforce it.
-- Dave
Brian Knapp, associate editor: Dave, I feel your pain, but I respectfully disagree. Theoretically, the NSAC could have levied a much harsher financial penalty against Parisyan. The commission fined him based on his total $80,000 haul at UFC 94, which included his $40,000 win bonus. In essence, the NSAC allowed him to keep $8,000 of a win bonus for a fight he did not win, since the commission also ruled his bout with Dong Hyun Kim a “no decision” as a result of his positive test for painkillers.
I agree that it might be wise for the NSAC and other state commissions to put in place standard penalties for infractions like Parisyan’s. While I can sympathize with him -- I feel for anyone who suffers from panic attacks -- on a certain level, he knew the rules and broke them. He ingested unknown painkillers, given to him by a friend, before a prizefight. All professional athletes, especially those who get punched in the face for a living, should know exactly what they put into their bodies, and they should not simply take someone’s word for it, friend or otherwise.
The drugs may not have enhanced his performance, but they put Parisyan at risk because painkillers like those he had in his system slow reflexes and reaction time. The number one job of a state commission is to protect its fighters, even if it means guarding them from themselves. Imagine if Parisyan had suffered a catastrophic injury in his fight with Kim. He put himself and the sport at risk, and the punishment he received fit the crime. Hopefully, he will learn from this misstep.