Just days after announcing a Mike Easton vs. Ken Stone bantamweight scrap for UFC on FX 1, UFC match-makers had to scramble to find Easton a new opponent with Stone suffering an injury in training. Now they have one, and it’s a fighter who’s been campaigning very vocally on Twitter for a UFC spot: Team Hayastan member, Jared Papazian. MMA Weekly reports the booking:
King of the Cage bantamweight champion Jared Papazian has stepped in to face Mike Easton at UFC on FX 1 on Jan. 20, MMAWeekly.com has learned from sources.
Papazian had originally hoped to compete in the UFC’s newly formed flyweight division, but was eager for any chance he could get to compete, and first petitioned UFC matchmaker, Sean Shelby, via Twitter to fill in for the injured Eddie Wineland in Chicago, but when Mitch Gagnon got that spot, Papazian continued his Twitter campaign and was again asking Shelby for a shot when the news broke that Stone was injured. The squeaky wheel got the grease apparently, and now Papazian, the reigning King of the Cage bantamweight champion, who trains under Gokor Chivichyan in California alongside Ronda Rousey and Manny Gamburyan, will make his UFC debut on just two weeks’ notice against the very tough Easton.
Jared “The Jackhammer” Papazian (13-6)
W Marvin Garcia (unam. decision) – KOTC First Defense
W Abel Cullum (unam. decision) – KOTC Epic Force
W Kana Hyatt (unam. decision) – KOTC Turning Point
About the author
