Karo Parisyan was never addicted to pain medications, looks for successful MMA return .

Karo told  The MMA Hour. in this in depth interview:

"What I was doing before is, when I would come to practice I would bullshit. I would just bull crap, not do anything really, you know, just try to kill the time and leave. These days in training, I have my training partners. I used to do a lot of strength and conditioning before for my last few fights, which I didn't put any time in the cage, ring or that mats. I was strong as far as grappling went and sparring went. I had to put fight proportion training into my circuit and I didn't. I just put like circuit training and strength and conditioning into my training. Then, when fight time would come, first of all, I would be too small for my weight and second of all, I couldn't throw my hands and I couldn't do my throws, I couldn't do any of that stuff because I hadn't really done that in practice as much as I was supposed to, so that's one of the big differences I have changed."

"The Heat" also made it clear that he was never addicted to pain medications when asked if he was clean from all painkillers:

"Yes, yes. Let me explain something boss. You see, if I got popped for pain medication, it's very easy for people to say, 'Whoa, he got popped for pain meds, that means he's taking pain medications, you know, he's hooked on pain meds.' I even gave a legitimate prescription from my doctor for my torn hamstring and all that stuff, and I got suspended after. People started saying again, 'Oh, the reason why he is not the same is because he is taking pain medications.' Listen, for the record, I was never addicted on pain meds. I abused pain medications without knowing it would hurt me, it was too late already. I had done too much damage to myself mentally and physically. I know it sounds like I was addicted, but no, I wasn't. I didn't let it control me or any of that stuff. I can't believe you actually had the balls bro, to say, 'Hey Karo, are you clean?' Like I was a drug addict and I'm clean now. Which it's fine, it's great, no one has ever said that to me, but, just to let you know, clean wise, I don't even want to say that word clean, because it comes out as if I am taking the responsibility as if I was taking pain medications because I was addicted no I just abused it. But, no I haven't touched any of that stuff. I realized it was kicking my butt, giving me anxiety and panic attacks."

Karo went on to explain one of the biggest reasons he hopes to have a successful return:

"Now, you're going to say this is a stupid reason, but one of the reasons I want to come back is to shut people up. Shut a lot of freaking people up, I will tell you that right now. Because there is a lot of people that talk crap. It's good it's great, it motivates me. It puts that edge on me that I want to put on my opponents and into this sport. I use everything to my advantage, whatever I can to put me to the part where I am supposed to be the best. So there is a lot of reasons why I can't hang up the gloves, I don't want to lose the fight yet. It is what it is, but for the time being it is a slow process for me. I'm climbing that ladder."

Karo's first test back to the top will be against Thomas Denny at next weekend's (March 31, 2012) Worldwide Mixed Martial Arts Alliance (WMMA) event in El Paso, Texas, from The Don Haskins Center.