Filed under: UFC
Stefan Struve and Pat Barry had the biggest height differential of any two opponents in UFC history when they stepped into the Octagon on Saturday night. And in the end it was Struve’s long limbs that made the difference, as he was able to wrap his long legs around Barry’s neck and make him tap to a triangle choke/armbar.
The finish to the fight was great, and showed how good Struve is at using his length on the ground. Struve beautifully transitioned into the triangle choke position and stayed there, and when Barry picked Struve up and slammed him to the ground, Struve simply sunk the triangle in deeper.
Struve said after the fight that he was excited to beat Barry, a man he considers a friend outside the Octagon as well as a rival in it.
“I’ve been working on my kickboxing because Pat is one of the best in the world,” Struve said. “What can I say? I’m thrilled with the result. Give it up for Pat, he’s one of the coolest dudes in MMA.”
The win improves Struve’s record to 26-5, and shows just how dangerous Struve is off his back on the ground. For Barry, the loss drops his record to 6-4 and shows how much work he has to do on the ground: Barry has now been submitted three times inside the Octagon.
The good news for Barry is that he’ll never have to face an opponent with such a great reach advantage again.