Josh Parisian
Joshua Wayne Parisian (born June 28, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the UFC. Background. Parisian grew up in Escanaba, Michigan, before moving to Martinsburg, West Virginia before the second grade. Because of an abusive stepfather – who eventually got jail time for domestic violence – he and his mother stayed a lot in shelters. He graduated from Escanaba Senior High School before attending Bay College for two years. In college, Parisian listened to his classmate's public speaking class speech on UFC and got interested in the sport. He tried it  out and felt it improve his self-esteem and confidence, leading to dropping out of college in pursuit of a career in mixed martial arts. Mixed martial arts career. Dana White's Contender Series. Racking up a record of 7–2 in the United States regional circuit before being invited to the Dana White's Contender Series. He faced Greg Rebello at Season 2 Week 3 on June 26, 2018. Despite scoring a first-round knockout win, Parisian was not offered a UFC contract directly, but a spot in . The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters. In the fifth episode of the season , Parisian faced Michel Batista in a quarter-final bout. He lost the fight via second-round technical knockout and was eliminated from the tournament. Return to Contender Series. After The Ultimate Fighter, Parisian returned to the regional circuit where he lost the first bout then went on a five-bout winning streak and earned another shot in Dana White's Contender Series. He faced Chad Johnson at Season 4 Week 3 on August 18, 2020. He scored a first-round knockout victory once again and was awarded a UFC contract. Ultimate Fighting Championship. Parisian made his UFC debut against Parker  Porter on November 28, 2020 at . He lost the bout by unanimous decision. In his sophomore appearance in the promotion, Parisian faced Roque Martinez at on June 19, 2021. He won the bout via controversial split decision. 12 out of 14 media scores gave the victory to Martinez. Parisian faced Don'Tale Mayes on December 18, 2021 at . He lost the bout via TKO due to elbows from crucifix position in the third round. Parisian is scheduled to face Alan Baudot on June 25, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 209. Personal life. Parisian and his fiancée have a daughter, Eva (born  2020).