Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight scrappers Jake Ellenberger and Bryan Barberena threw down last night (Aug. 25, 2018) at UFC Fight Night 135 inside Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.
It’s been a seriously rough few years for Ellenberger, who slipped down from the position of contender to barely hanging onto the roster. More recently, he’s been getting finished consistently, and last night seemed to be his absolute last chance to get back into the win column.
Meanwhile, Barberena has established a well-deserved reputation as spoiler, combining a good mix of toughness and conditioning to overcome more skilled (on paper) opposition. Unfortunately, that approach wasn’t enough to overcome top 10 opposition like Colby Covington and Leon Edwards, which left Barberena also in need of a victory.
Ellenberger came out looking to throw his right hand, a good sign for the veteran who’s been a bit gun shy in recent losses. He managed to land the shot a couple times, and “Juggernaut” began to work the lead leg as well. Barberena returned the favor, punting Ellenberger’s leg out of position.
Ellenberger continued to push the pace, but Barberena managed to slip and land a clean counter cross. That backed Ellenberger off, and it didn’t take long for Barberena to chase. He grew a bit sloppy in the process, but it didn’t really matter: a 1-2-3 connected fully on the jaw not long after and sent Ellenberger falling into the fence.
“Bam Bam” pursued, and Ellenberger tried to cling to a single leg in the hopes of buying time to recover. Though it worked for a moment, Ellenberger was too far gone, quickly dropped again and finished with strikes on the mat.
There’s not all that much to talk about here. Ellenberger tried to knock out Barberena early — it was his only chance to win. Unfortunately, Barberena is tough as hell with a solid chin. Worse still, he hits damn hard himself. Both men seemed aware of the situation, as Barberena walked into the Octagon with the singular goal of putting leather on Ellenberger’s chin.
Once he landed a clean combination, it was all over.
For Barberena, this fight doesn’t prove much. He tried to blow an older fighter out of the water, and it worked. This win does serve the purpose of getting him back into the win column, which should see Barberena face stiffer competition next time out.
As for Ellenberger, “Juggernaut” made the wise decision to leave his gloves in the Octagon behind him. Since there’s no reason to talk about Ellenberger’s MMA future, let’s take a brief second to look at his past. My personal favorite Ellenberger fight came opposite Diego Sanchez back when both were among Welterweight’s best: a fight that showcased Ellenberger’s explosive offense and dynamic hips, as well as Sanchez’s inhuman toughness and conditioning.
Other great Ellenberger finishes to note would be his brutal stoppage over Jake Shields — a man famously difficult to knock out — or forcing Josh Koscheck to gurgle with a rare north-south choke. If you’ve the time, find those fights and check ‘em out.
Last night, Bryan Barberena retired Jake Ellenberger with an early knockout. Who should Barberena face next?
For complete UFC Fight Night 135 “Gaethje vs. Vick” results and play-by-play, click HERE!