A Fighting Chance

To do so, he’ll have to beat an opponent in McCullough who’s 10 years his senior, just as Oishi was, and has far more experience fighting overall and on the grand stage that is the WEC. It would seem as though Darabedyan is a magnificent underdog to emerge victorious, but perhaps not.

“You know what, I don’t know if it’d be that big of an upset,” Harris said. “Karen’s a tough dude.”

So, as it goes, a karate kid at the age of 5 is now a young man looking to make a name for himself and carve out a spot in his sport’s hierarchy. But for all the change and the years of preparation, he still predicts he’ll be the same before this fight as he has been for all the rest.

“I’m really nervous,” says Darabedyan in describing himself before a bout. “I have my phone off, I have my iPod on my ears, it’s pretty much all business.”

While his prefight approach may well play a role in his bout with McCullough, it is no doubt what occurs after the bout — should his hand be raised in triumph — that may tell this tale.

“Obviously, if Karen can get through Rob it’s a huge opportunity for him,” Harris said. “Rob McCullough’s a tough guy and it would put [Darabedyan] in a place in our company that he could someday challenge for a title.”

Thus, a journey that began in Armenia has come to a crossroads in Las Vegas, where dreams are made and shattered seemingly by the minute.

Darabedyan has arrived in a sport that he has dedicated himself to, and in that regard, perhaps he’s already won. But that’s certainly not the way he’s looking at it.

“I feel like I’m hungrier than him,” Darabedyan says. “I have everything to gain and everything to lose. I can open a lot of doors or have them slam in my face.”