While Brazzle might not give Darabedyan a notable opponent in their 170-pound welterweight bout, he's certainly a sizable one and one that, seemingly, has the advantage of being able to go for broke.
"Mike is an absolute huge welterweight. He's an incredible athlete," said Brazzle's trainer, Jesse Finney, of the 6-foot-1, 23-year-old Brazzle, who holds a 7-0 amateur MMA record. "We look at this as a huge opportunity. If we win this, it's great for all of us; if we don't, though, nobody expected us to win."
Brazzle is Darabedyan's fourth scheduled opponent, as Brazzle accepted the bout on Tuesday. It hasn't left for much preparation.
"We have everything to gain and nothing to lose," Finney said. "Everybody knows about Karen and he's good all-around."
Finney added that his camp has only had time to watch one of Darabedyan's bouts, which was, consequently, his 2009 triumph in his WEC debut against McCullough. The fight was very much a showcase of Darabedyan at his best, at the very least in terms of his striking game. Consequently, Darabedyan is looking to resurrect his once burgeoning career, by first regaining the confidence that seemingly only comes with a victory inside the cage.
