Courtesy photo Escanaba native Josh Parisian (left) will face off against Parker Porter (right) in a heavyweight bout at UFC Fight Night Saturday in Las Vegas.

It seems the UFC may be expecting big things, or at least a knockout, from Escanaba’s Josh Parisian this Saturday night as he makes his UFC main card debut.

Parisian (13-3), who has previously appeared twice in Dana White’s Contender Series, will take on Parker Porter (10-6) in a heavyweight division matchup at UFC Fight Night.

“I’m excited for the opportunity,” said Parisian. “But also doing my best to not get overwhelmed by it and not crack under the pressure.”

The fight is not only Parisian’s first on the main card, it is his first fight ever for UFC. More often than not, fighters will toil in the preliminary fights for several events before making it to the main show.

Not Parisian.

Come Saturday night, Parisian will be able to check off a main card fight on his list of goals.

“It means a lot to me to do that,” he said. “I anticipated I’d have to fight several times to get that opportunity.

“My first goal while being in the UFC, other than winning my fights, is to be on the main card. I feel that’s the main show. That’s what everyone is tuning in to watch.”

With a main card fight comes an added level of stress for Parisian, something he has been able to deal with rather well considering the appearance came as a surprise.

“I go in and out of feeling pressure,” he said. “Once I start thinking about it and talking through it, I feel much better about it. I do my best to remind myself of what I can do and what’s in my control and what’s not in my control … so I don’t get overwhelmed.”

To prepare for the fight, Parisian has gone through a full eight-week training camp. Readying for the fight from a strategy standpoint was also a camp focus.

While many fighters specialize in a particular discipline — Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, kickboxing — Parisian is a fighter that has no major background in any specific fighting style.

“When I started MMA, I kind of did everything together,” Parisian said. “I took to striking a lot more than anything else, and I really enjoyed the strategy behind the punching and kicking.

“I’ve learned to appreciate it as a game and not a violent thing. Me doing things to get a reaction, it’s kind of like a chess match.”

Parisian’s prowess in striking has thus far propelled him to 10 of his 13 wins via stoppage, knockout or technical knockout.

Of those ten victories, Parisian was able to finish eight within the first round.

His other three stem from two submissions and one decision.

Beyond their respective professional records, Parisian also holds a physical advantage over Porter. He is four-years young, four-inches taller (6’4“, 6’0”), and has a four-inch reach advantage (74“, 70”).

“I don’t really know how I’m going to utilize my age,” Parisian laughed.

“I am going to try to be at the end of my punches,” he continued. “If I can be at the end of my punch he can’t hit me.”

It’s a strategy Parisian uses against virtually all of his shorter opponents. But with the disparity in height comes another challenge.

“I know with him being shorter, he’s going to have to use his head movement and his footwork to get on the inside,” he said. “Whether he’s going to do that through his own strikes or if he’s going to wait for me to strike and try to roll under or roll in after I commit to something.”

In his last fight, his second DWCS appearance, Parisian defeated Chad Johnson in the first round, landing punches from mount to bring the stoppage. It was his sixth win in a row.

Parisian’s last loss came on Feb. 16, 2019, when he tapped out to a Kimura lock. According to Parisian, it was overconfidence and a lack of urgency that lost him that fight. With this fight, that shouldn’t be an issue.

“I think with the pressure of this fight, I’ll have a very good sense of urgency to not be put in jeopardizing positions,” he said.

As far as Porter is concerned, when the two step into the octagon, Parisian has a pretty good idea of what his opponent will be doing.

“I expect him to strike and expect him to try to take me down when that’s not going in his favor,” he said. “I think it’ll be a lot of me trying to not get taken down off the wall, and if I do get taken down, I’ll scramble to get back up and keep the fight striking.”

The plan is simple for Parisian. Do what he does best.

Strike.

Something that will also be new for Parisian is what town he will be introduced from. Though he requested it in his last televised fight, Parisian has yet to be announced from Escanaba. That changes Saturday night.

“I’m going to be announced from Escanaba. I always ask to be. I love my hometown and hopefully can go back there after all my fighting is done.”

Parisian vs. Porter can be seen live on ESPN2 Saturday at 10 p.m.