Joshua Wayne Parisian (born June 28, 1989) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who competes in the

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the W ...

division of the UFC.

Background

Parisian grew up in

Escanaba, Michigan Escanaba ( ), commonly shortened to Esky, is a port city in Delta County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on Little Bay de Noc in the state's Upper Peninsula. The population was 12,616 at the 2010 census, making it the third-largest city ...

, before moving from

Martinsburg, West Virginia Martinsburg is a city in and the seat of Berkeley County, West Virginia, in the tip of the state's Eastern Panhandle region in the lower Shenandoah Valley. Its population was 18,835 in the 2021 census estimate, making it the largest city in the E ...

before the second grade. Because of an abusive stepfather – who eventually got jail time for

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for '' intimate partn ...

– he and his mother stayed a lot in shelters. He graduated from

Escanaba Senior High School Escanaba Senior High School (also known as EHS or simply Esky) is a public high school in Escanaba, Michigan. It is the sole high school in the Escanaba Area Public Schools district, and serves grades 9–12. Demographics The demographic breakdo ...

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 Dana White's Contender Series, formerly named Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series, is an American mixed martial arts promotion. In May 2017, the UFC announced White would hold the competition weekly on UFC Fight Pass (It has since been move ...

. He faced Greg Rebello at Dana White's Contender Series 30 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.

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 Parker Frederick Porter (born April 22, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Porter played baseball, lacrosse and football in his youth. After high sc ...

on November 28, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Smith vs. Clark. He lost the bout by unanimous decision. In his sophomore appearance in the promotion, Parisian faced Roque Martinez at UFC on ESPN: The Korean Zombie vs. Ige 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 Don'Tale O'Neil Mayes (born January 16, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Born and raised in Kentucky, Mayes begun tra ...

on December 18, 2021 at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus. He lost the bout via TKO due to elbows from crucifix position in the third round. Parisian faced

Alan Baudot Alan Dimitri Baudot (born February 1, 1988) is a French mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division. He has previously fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Alan Baudot was born on the slopes of the Croix-R ...

on June 25, 2022 at

UFC on ESPN 38 ''UFC on ESPN: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 38'' and ''UFC Vegas 57'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 25, 2022, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, ...

. After being dropped in the first round, Parisian rebounded to win the fight via technical knockout in the second round. This win earned him his first

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

bonus award. Parisian was scheduled to face Chase Sherman on November 5, 2022 at

UFC Fight Night 214 ''UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Lemos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 214, UFC on ESPN+ 72'' and ''UFC Vegas 64'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 5, 2022 at the UFC Ap ...

. However, Parisian pulled out of the fight hours before it was to take place due to medical issues. Parisian is next expected to face Jamal Pogues at UFC Fight Night: Vera vs. Sandhagen on February 18, 2023.

Personal life

Parisian and his fiancée have a daughter, Eva (born 2020).

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

* Carlos Llinas International Productions **CLIP Heavyweight Championship (One time) *

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(One time)

Mixed martial arts record

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Wyandotte, Michigan Wyandotte ( ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 25,058 at the 2020 census. Wyandotte is located in southeastern Michigan, approximately south of Detroit on the Detroit River, and it is part of the coll ...

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Josh Burns Josh Burns (born May 15, 1978) is an American professional mixed martial artist and current bare-knuckle boxer. Since 2017, Burns has competed in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Bellator MMA Burns faced TNA ...

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Parisian, Josh Living people 1989 births American male mixed martial artists Heavyweight mixed martial artists Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters