Should Karo Parisyan be dropped?
While the Karo of 'old', the same Karo shafted out of a title shot once upon a time, may have lost a step or two because of his more extreme encounters with xenophobia, injuries while training and other uncertain problems that have amounted over the last while, it would be beyond inane to cut him.
Not only does Karo pump a very formidable 9-3 UFC record on the front, but he also happens to be one of the most exciting fighters at WW, which in itself makes the conviction of a short leash even more profound. His fights with Diaz, Sanchez, Lytle and Serra were all memorable for not only the calculated efficiency of both he and his opposition, but Karo's ability to grab victory from the jaws of defeat.
The biggest problem, one that
could be resolved given conflate management, would be his fight purse. He got a staggering $80,000 for his victory over Stun Gun, fourth highest on the card and only forty grand shy of headliner BJ Penn, and has always had a linear amount of pay in comparison to most on every fight card he has taken part in; maybe a little frisky in retrospect but something that can probably be negotiated. Afterward came the suspension that did him no favors whatsoever in terms of finding a viable source of income, but if he plans on progressing he'll need to do some major remodeling which could possibly be inactivity from the fight game in order to get his head straight, pursue other means of work just to put bread on the table, etc., anything with muscle behind it is exactly what Karo needs to do to get back on the right path.
With that said, you'd have to be a complete idiot to condemn Karo for failing the drug test. Which in any event it's not like he was roiding or hitting up on PCP. Yes illegal, but taking pain pills, no matter how strong, doesn't have any positive effect on his fighting prowess.
Opioids work something like this: They bind to opiate receptors which are mostly in the GIS and CNS and block the pain signals from reaching the brain, that is if you have enough pain to warrant using an opioid. If you don't have genuine pain when you take the pill it's going to make you high because a secondary result of the blocked receptors is a big boost in dopamine to your brain. If you were hurting, the dopamine would serve to 'detach' you from the pain, but if you're not it just makes you really high.
So while it's against the rules, it's against the rules to protect the fighter that might use it. A diminished ability to feel pain puts the fighter in danger as he can't tell how serious a strike or hold is, if he's stoned from the pill then he can't defend himself as effectively because he's slow and his reflexes are off, and opiates cause the body's blood vessels to open up and blood pressure to drop which also can be dangerous in an activity as physical as MMA. If he was indeed in serious pain from an injury his only concern would be the low blood pressure and heart rate.
But as far as having aesthetically pleasing fights, that even the most blood seeking elitists, ********, TUF noobs - addendum - can appreciate, there's never a dull moment in any Karo fight (sans Chonan, which even at that wasn't terrible). He's a legit Top 10 WW with big wins over Nick Diaz, Matt Serra (who later went on to defeat GSP for the 170 crown), Nick Thompson (who went on to win 14 of his next 15 fights) and solid wins over Josh Burkman and Drew Fickett (before he got booted out of the UFC and ADCC because of his drunken antics/messy break-up with his former training camp). Based specifically on what Karo produces in excitement and productivity, he could have a job for the rest of eternity in the UFC. But that's not the case. The issue on cutting Karo is namely one that resonates more on his purse and Achilles heel of dealing with his inner demons rationally. Pulling out of fights in the last minute is not something that'll secure his placement in the UFC, nor is it something the employer appreciates when promoting his name and appeal to elicit attention. If he hasn't already ventured into getting some serious treatment for his xenophobic/panic attacks, which I would assume he has, then the next step is to take time away from training (re: partying according to Karo) and cater to his problems before entering a cage and putting it all on the line.
Before we tar and feather him solely for his attitude, realize that just taking the time to step foot inside a ring/cage, train formally and work his ass off just to make it to the big time from competing on your regional events and occasional KOTC cards (something that also largely delves on natural gifts), respect him for that.