Just a month shy of his 23rd birthday, Darabedyan finds himself on the edge of stardom with a golden opportunity that’s for the taking. And despite his youth, Darabedyan and those close to him realize it’s been a long time in the making.
From his earliest days starting karate in his native Armenia, to his days as a Glendale High student and judo standout to now, as a burgeoning mixed martial arts contender, it’s all been preparation for this.
“It’s a long time coming, this fight and just him getting to the big stage,” says Alberto Crane, a fellow MMA fighter who’s competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and often trains with Darabedyan. “He’s been training for this since he was a little kid. It’s his time.”
And with this time comes the pressure of prospect rarely received, and it is one Darabedyan willingly shoulders upon his 5-foot-7 frame.
“Even with all this crazy stuff, I feel like this is destiny,” says Darabedyan, who will debut for the World Extreme Cagefighting organization in a live, televised three-round lightweight (155 pounds) bout against the company’s former lightweight champion, Rob McCullough, on Wednesday. “This is like 20-something years of schooling for me, with all of this hard work I’ve put in.
“I have the whole package, it’s a matter of me wanting it and putting in the hard work.”
Karen Darabedyan was only 5 when he began training in karate.
“I wouldn’t say I was an aggressive kid, but I had a lot of energy,” he remembers.
