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Georgi Karakhanyan: I Could Beat Anyone in UFC Featherweight Division

How would Georgi Karakhanyan fare against the UFC's best? PTell us below. | Anthony Geathers/Sherdog.com



Georgi Karakhanyan beat another UFC veteran Saturday when he submitted Waylon Lowe at World Series of Fighting 5.

The finish came via guillotine choke just 3:37 into the first round of their featherweight matchup.

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“When he shot in, I went for the guillotine, but I was kind of sprawled,” Karakhanyan told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “He was driving in, and as I’m sprawling, I’m trying to adjust my guillotine. That’s when it clicked in. That’s when I adjusted it. I was like, ‘Oh, OK, you’re going to give this to me? Then I’m not going to let it go.’”

Lowe entered the fight a winner of four straight. He’d spent about a year in the UFC, losing to Melvin Guillard and Nik Lentz but also scoring wins over Steve Lopez and Willamy Freire. Even though Karakhanyan made quick work of him, he complimented Lowe’s ability.

“I think he could beat the whole [WSOF featherweight] division except me,” Karakhanyan said. “I went out there and I fought a good fight and beat him. I caught him in that guillotine.”

The 28-year-old Karakhanyan actually asked to fight Lowe.

“I wanted a tough matchup and I got it,” he said. “I got Waylon. I just want to let all the wrestlers or whoever thinks they’re going to take me down and play a little Joe Warren game on me that I’m going to submit you or I’m going to knock you out.”

The loss to Warren, a unanimous decision in May 2010, is one of only three defeats on Karakhanyan’s record. After that setback, he hit the wrestling room to improve his ability to stay on his feet, and it worked against Lowe.

“I said he’s going to try to stand with me and he’s going to find out he doesn’t want to stand with me and he’s going to use his wrestling,” Karakhanyan said. “I knew he was going to go for a takedown and I was either going to time that knee, an uppercut or a guillotine. I was really happy with the outcome.”

Karakhanyan has now won eight straight, including a victory in April over former UFC lightweight contender Din Thomas. Before signing with World Series of Fighting, he had wanted a shot in the UFC but couldn’t wait any longer to join the promotion’s already packed featherweight roster. He’s happy with WSOF but believes he’d do just fine in the Octagon as well.

“My relationship with [UFC matchmaker] Sean Shelby is really good,” Karakhanyan said. “We text each other and we talk to each other. The thing was, I couldn’t wait any longer because as a fighter, I want to fight. After the Din Thomas fight I was like maybe I could wait and see what’s going on, but again, they have so much talent in the UFC. And again, I won’t take nothing from those guys. I think some of those guys are very tough, but I could realistically beat any of those UFC fighters out there.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 1:08:43).
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