TEMECULA, Calif. – Karo Parisyan is quick to remind people that Friday’s upset win at Bellator 116 is simply a start. But he thinks he’ll ultimately prove that he’s still able to compete with any top welterweight in the sport.

In a preliminary-card bout at Friday’s event, which took place at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif., Parisyan (23-10 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) upset 4-1 favorite Ron Keslar (11-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) with a second-round TKO – the first knockout win of his 15-year career.

“I can beat anybody in the welterweight division in the world if I’m on my game like today, so it’s a start for me,” the former UFC contender said. “I’m just going to build it up from here, like you used to see several years ago from Karo.”

Drug issues and a decline in his in-cage skills seemingly put the Parisyan out of commission, but the 31-year-old judoka has now won three of his past four fights. He said he hopes to parlay the recent success into bigger fights with Bellator.

But for now?

“I’ll get a couple weeks off, do some good stuff on the side – yeah, get laid and all that and have a good time,” he joked. “And then get back into the fight game.”

For complete coverage of Bellator 116, check out the MMA Events section of the site.