‘Different’ Darabedyan ready

GLENDALE — When Karen Darabedyan takes center stage inside the World Extreme Cagefighting octagon for the second time, second time or not, he said he’ll still have plenty of butterflies leading into his fight.

“I’m always pretty nervous before a fight,” said the Glendale fighter. “I think it brings out the best in me.”

But when Darabedyan faces off with Bart Palaszewski on Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio as part of the live Versus telecast of WEC: Bowles vs. Cruz, he will do so with a major fight under his belt, a full training camp behind him and as a different mixed martial artist.

“It will be different,” said Darabedyan, a Glendale High graduate who boasts a 9-1 record. “It’ll be a better version of myself.”

Perhaps the biggest difference, according to Darabedyan, who took part in a “really good” nine-week training camp, will be his stamina and his mindset.

When he made his debut for the WEC in November, defeating former WEC lightweight kingpin Rob McCullough via split decision, he did so on short notice. Now, however, he wants to showcase his full skillset and the extra tools provided him by his recent training with strength and conditioning coach Leo Frincu.

“My gas tank will be pretty much full, I’ll be able to push the pace,” said Darabedyan, who will be cornered by Frincu, manager Darin Harvey and his boxing coach, Roman Kalantaryan, who he trains with at Glendale’s Main Event Sports Club. “I’m just gonna go in there and give everything I’ve got, so when I get out of the cage I have no regrets.”

Coupled with Palaszewski’s reputation and outlook, it should make for quite an interesting fight.

“I guess it’s kind of weird, but I look at myself first as an entertainer, second as a fighter,” said Palaszewski (33-13), a Poland native who fights out of Illinois. “I’m actually more concerned with the fight itself and putting on a good show.

“I’d rather lose an exciting fight than win a boring one.”