The co-main event bout of this weekends UFC on Versus 6 card features a sort of odd heavyweight bout, as 5-foot-11 Pat ‘HD’ Barry (6-3) meets 6-foot-11 Stefan ‘Skyscraper’ Struve in the Octagon on Versus.
UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson (aka UFC on Versus 6) is scheduled to take place this Saturday, October 1, at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. The four bout main card is scheduled to air live on the Versus network in the U.S., while fans in Canada can watch on Rogers Sportsnet.
Speaking at Monday’s pre-fight press conference, Barry talked about the differences in height between himself and his opponent, as well as his preparations in facing someone who is a full foot taller.
“I don’t think it’ll be that big of a deal in this fight,” Barry said of the reach difference. “Everybody Stefan comes across, fights and trains with is shorter than he is. Everybody that I come across, fight and train with is taller than I am. So this fight is going to be everything normal. How often does Stefan Struve come across someone taller than him? Not very often. And I haven’t come across many heavyweights shorter than I am. So I think this is going to be pretty normal. I’m accustomed to guys being taller than I am and Stefan is accustomed to guys shorter than he is.”
“I found a guy I call the black Struve,” Barry said. “Maurice Green, who’s 6-foot-9, he’s a guy who came in for three weeks, a wrestler turned kickboxer out of Chicago. He was a guy I brought in in order to find my range and work my distance. And then we’d have Marty Morgan, who’s 6-foot-3, stand on a stool while I threw punches and kicks at him.”
Props to MMAFighting.com for the transcription.
Be sure to check out Struve’s comments on Barry by hitting the link.