Tag: Stefan Struve

‘UFC on FUEL: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger’ — Live Results and Commentary


(Remember, the winner of this fight becomes the #2 contender for the UFC Intercontinental Temporary Welterweight Championship of the Midwest. So you’d better believe that Thiago Alves will be watching this one with great interest. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more photos from this set, click here.)

Tonight, the UFC will air their first-ever live fight card on FUEL TV — or so they say. Like most Americans, I don’t have the channel in my cable package, so I’m pretty much taking them for their word here. Luckily, our new liveblogger/boxing-analyst friend Steve Silverman does get the channel, and he’ll be handling play-by-play for the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET.

On the menu this evening: Balls-to-the-wall welterweight veteran Diego Sanchez will face Jake Ellenberger, who’s riding high off his 53-second knockout of Jake Shields. Plus, Stefan Struve puts his long limbs on a flamboyant high-school acting teacher, Stipe Miocic and Philip De Fries meet in a battle of undefeated heavyweight prospects, and TUF 14 bantamweight finalist TJ Dillashaw returns to action against Walel Watson. Total cost to the consumer: $0.00.

“UFC on FUEL 1: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger” results await you after the jump. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. Thanks for being here, guys.


(Remember, the winner of this fight becomes the #2 contender for the UFC Intercontinental Temporary Welterweight Championship of the Midwest. So you’d better believe that Thiago Alves will be watching this one with great interest. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more photos from this set, click here.)

Tonight, the UFC will air their first-ever live fight card on FUEL TV — or so they say. Like most Americans, I don’t have the channel in my cable package, so I’m pretty much taking them for their word here. Luckily, our new liveblogger/boxing-analyst friend Steve Silverman does get the channel, and he’ll be handling play-by-play for the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET.

On the menu this evening: Balls-to-the-wall welterweight veteran Diego Sanchez will face Jake Ellenberger, who’s riding high off his 53-second knockout of Jake Shields. Plus, Stefan Struve puts his long limbs on a flamboyant high-school acting teacher, Stipe Miocic and Philip De Fries meet in a battle of undefeated heavyweight prospects, and TUF 14 bantamweight finalist TJ Dillashaw returns to action against Walel Watson. Total cost to the consumer: $0.00.

“UFC on FUEL 1: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger” results await you after the jump. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. Thanks for being here, guys.

We should have a great night here with Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez headlining the night. We’ll have plenty of action prior to that fight… Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert gets us started…

Menjivar is more experienced and he appears to have an edge. Menjivar is a solid striker and an excellent grappler…

You have to like Jon Anik and Kenny Florian announcing the fight. Any time you don’t have to listen to that boob Mauro Ranallo it’s a good listen

Round 1

Menjivar with a big overhand right to start but Albert blocks i. Albert with some good counters and quick knees…

Albert with an arm bar and Menivar is throwing hammers to the head…Menjivar with a footlock, while Albert has a heel lock…

 

Big kick by Albert has Menjivar in trouble. Menjivar trying to cover and he survives… Menjivar pounding Albert. He has his back. Rear naked choke and Menjivar wins.

 

This was a great one-round fight. Menjivar was in trouble but he just started pounding away and got on top of Albert’s back. He got the choke in and Albert had to tap out. Experience and toughness won this one for Menjivar….

 

Fight No. 2…. T.J. Dillashaw (4-1) vs Walel Watson (9-3) coming up next…

Both Dillashaw and Watson are strong wrestlers, but Dillashaw should be more comfortable throwing punches. That should give him an advantage at the start …

Dillashaw’s greatest asset may be his mean streak…he’ll try to get off to a quick start. Watson with a big reach advantage… 7 inches…

Dillashaw with a jumping righ hand and then goes for the single leg takedown…throws Watson down…

Watson is on his back but he looks comfortable. Dillashaw trying throw bombs but Watson uses his long arms to block them. Dillashaw has Watson’s back…

He tried to get in a rear naked choke. Dillashaw has been pounding away and he has Watson’s back. Trying to choke him out but Watson escapes.

Dillashaw remains in control. He looks like he is stronter than Watson and more accomplished. Watson is defending but he can’t mount his own attack. Big punches from Dillashaw  and Watson has now answer. The first round is all Dillashaw but Watson survives and will fight a second round.

Round 2…

Big right hnd by Dillashaw to start and that hurt Watson. Dillashaw once again on top. Good wrestling and jiu jitsu allows him to mount a confident attack…

Dillashaw is not letting Watson get in anything. It seems all Watson can do is defend. He has not been able to get in a submission hold.

Dillashaw is getting in hammer fists and is hurting Watson. He is not really defending, just covering up…He has a deep choke on Watson, but Watson gets out. He is pounding Watson’s head once he stops choking him…

Watson is getting pounded in this fight and has had virtually no offense.Big right hand at the end of the round. This is a schoolyard whipping for Dillashaw but the fight moves on to round three.

Round 3…

Watson has some energy and comes out with a big kick, but it misses… Big right hand form Dillashaw and both sitll standing… Watson is much bigger, but much slower. Dillashaw with control on the ground again.

This time Watson escapes but still can’t attack. Finally Watson gets in a jumping knee, but it does not do much damage. Watson gets his legs around Dillashaw but he escapes.

Watson gets a heel hook and Dillashaw gets out… Watson doing much better in third round…

Dillashaw trying to get in choke, but Watson won’t let him secure it.

Final seconds of fight and Dillashaw is pounding away. This fight is over and Dillashaw has to be clear winner. Waiting for official decision.

And the winner is … Dillashaw by unanimous decision.

The next bout is Stipe Miocic (7-0) vs Philip De Fries (8-0 1 NC)

Miocic is a big-time striker while De Fries is more of a grappler. Miocic is a big-time hitter and may have an advantage. Good to see heavyweights go at it.

De Fries is going to have to defend against some heavy punches. If he can’t, he will have a hard time getting control and putting in a submission hold. …

Round 1…

Miocic looks stronger and in better shape as fight begins. De Fries lands a couple of rights to start….

Miocic gets in there and starts pounding with right hand and the fight is stopped. DeFries gets pounded…

Miocic has great power and the straight right hand hurts De Fries. He can’t defend himself and this fight is over in seconds.

The official time is 43 seconds and Miocic wins by a knockout.

Get ready for the next fight:

Aaron Simpson (11-2) vs Ronny Markes (12-1)

A couple of tough middleweights… Simpson has the edge in experience and should have an advantage if this one goes the distance…

Simpson is 14 years older, but you don’t get the feeling that he will wear down. He looks meaner and tougher…. off they go.

Markes attacks right off the jump.. They are clinching along the cage…and ref is pushing them for more action…

Simpson looks for opening but Markes responsds with combinations…Simpson hits him with an uppercut and starts pounding….

Simpson throwing elbows and Markes tries to get his wits about him…ref stands up Markes… and he’s a bit wobbly….both punching and Markes has survived. Wrestling along cag in final second of round 1. Give round 1 to Simpson….

Round 2….

Does Markes have the ability to take a solid punch? It’s questionable. But Markes has strong leg and is creating a problem for Simpson…

They are standing up int he middle, each man looking for and opening. Markes misses a left hook but lands an elbow…Simpson with a power left leg and tries for an overhand right, but Marks avoids the full force…

Markes has right underhook and delivers a right elbow. Markes with a takedown…Simpson gets back up after he was in a bad position… pretty even second round….

Round 3

Simposn looking to throw that big right hand. Wants to find an opening. Markes is strong but he’s not as quik when throwing punches. Markes trying to stomp Simpson …. and they break.

Markes is being much more aggressive and moving forward. Markes trying to work inside trip…another break and they go back to center. Simpson lands punch, Markes with kick.

Simpson slips and Markes gains control. Markes with double leg takedown…this one is close as we go to a decision.

The official results… Markes wins by split decision. It is not popular among  Nebraska fans….

Solid comeback for Markes who was much better defensively after first round.

In the next fight we will see Stefan Struve (22-5) vs Dave Herman (21-2)

These two heavyweights should put on quite a show. The 6-11 Struve has a huge reach but a suspect chin; Herman has a strong chin and tremendous power. Struve is going to have to find a way to survive the first round.

Struve outweighs Herman by 22 pounds and has a 6-inch height advantage…

Herman rocking a beard…. Struve with a right roundhouse kick…Herman with combination… No advantage in first 1:30….

Herman finding the range. Struve is not aggressive. Not throwing that long left. Big right from Struve followed by left kick from Herman…Big right hand from Herman but he can’t throw a combination. Struve is cautious. Struve misses right hand and Herman with body shot. Right overhand punch by Herman. Feeling out first round, slight edge ot Herman.

Round 2…

Combination by Herman. Struve on ground and then an escape and back on his feet. Herman getting a bit closer. Struve with a big kick and that had to hurt. Left uppercut by Herman and Struve with a left hook. Struve is starting to get a bit more aggressive. Stuve appears to have hurt Herman.

Herman has a mouse under his eye. Uppercut sends Herman down. He is getting hammered by Struve. Struve wins by TKO….

The official time is 3:52 of the second round as Skyscraper Struve asserts himself and pounds Herman in the end. He appeared much more confident in second round…

Coming up… the main event… Diego Sanchez (23-4) vs Jake Ellenberger (26-5)

Ellenberger is a top wrestler with knockout punching power; Sanchez is relentless and wants to take it to the ground….

With fight in Ellenberger’s hometown of Omaha, he could have an edge if it goes to a decision…

Round 1

Ellenberger throwing punches and Sanchez looking for an opening. Feeling each other out at the start. Good right by Ellenberger.

Ellenberger moving forward, throwing wide punches but not landing solidly. Knee by Ellenberger on chin of Sanchez.  Sanchez charges in and lands; counter knee by Ellenberger.

Both fighters with flurries. Crowd chanting “Jake, Jake…”. Ellenberger with the knockdown and Sanchez gets up. Big punch seems to hurt Sanchez but does not slow him down…First round goes to Ellenberger.

Round 2

Sanchez’s corner working on his nose and it may be broken. Ellenberger ready to go at start of round. Spinning back kick by Sanchez is ineffective.

Right roundhouse kick by Ellenberger blocked by Sanchez. Sanchez kick is ineffective. Ellenberger is quicker and lands a left hook. Another left hook as well.

Sanchez with solid right hook and then bull rushes Ellenberger. Hometown hero has not landed much in the final round but then he gets a takedown. He is trying to punch from the top and Sanchez could be in trouble.

Ellenberger thowing power punches and elbows and Sanchez is a bloody mess. He got hit in the nose and eye. Big finish of round for Ellenberger. Should be a great round 3.

Round 3

Sanchez cleaned up by corner to start round. Sanchez has not landed any seriosu power punches. Ellenberger knocks Sanchez off balance and he goes backwards.

Sanchez bleeding again and that nose looks broken. Right hand by Ellenberger followed by right hand from Sanchez tht appeared to hurt Ellenberger. However, Sanchez can’t follow up.

Ellenbrgr is cut and he is being hit with punches before Ellenberger scores takedown.  Sanchez reverses and throws punchs and he is taking control. Tremendous rally by Sanchez.

Two-fisted attack by Sanchez and then escape by Ellenberger at the horn… What a finish…

It will go to a decision and Ellenberger had control for most of the fight, but Sanchez had control in the final few minutes. Is it enough?

We await the decision….

Ellenberger wins unanimous decision. All judges score it 29-28… Fans are roaring approval…

Ellenberger hung on and he wants a title fight next…We’ll see you on the next fight night….

Good night….

 

 

 

Reminder: Watch the UFC on FUEL: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger Weigh-Ins Live Right Here at 5:00 pm ET


(I guess someone forgot to tell the design team at FUEL that Struve is the taller one.)

Just a friendly reminder that we’ll have the live video stream for the UFC On FUEL: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger weigh-ins for you and your Valentine to watch at 5:00 pm ET tonight. If you’re at home and you’re one of the 17 people who subscribe to FUEL TV, you can watch it on your flat screen.

Will Diego Sanchez spit on Jake Ellenberger’s forehead while he shouts “yes” during the staredown? Will anyone mistake Dave Herman for Macho Man? Will he slam Stefan Struve? Does anyone plan on tuning into the prelims?

These questions and more will be answered after the jump (or in the comment section).


(I guess someone forgot to tell the design team at FUEL that Struve is the taller one.)

Just a friendly reminder that we’ll have the live video stream for the UFC On FUEL: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger weigh-ins for you and your Valentine to watch at 5:00 pm ET tonight. If you’re at home and you’re one of the 17 people who subscribe to FUEL TV, you can watch it on your flat screen.

Will Diego Sanchez spit on Jake Ellenberger‘s forehead while he shouts “yes” during the staredown? Will anyone mistake Dave Herman for Macho Man? Will he slam Stefan Struve? Does anyone plan on tuning into the prelims?

These questions and more will be answered at 5.

Technique Video of the Day: Bas Rutten’s Triangle Escape

As I watched Pat Barry fall victim to yet another submission at the spider legs of Stefan Struve during UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson this past Saturday, my stomach began to take on the feeling that I hadn’t known since I watched A Serbian Film for the second time. I knew what was going to happen, but deep in my atheist soul I hoped…no, prayed, that things would somehow change. And like a 7-Eleven cashier in Compton, I found myself on the wrong end of the barrel yet again.

Thankfully, the powers at be have likely given Barry another chance. And since we all know “HD” is an avid Cagepotato Fan, I figured I’d let the master of all things MMA/street fighting, Bas Rutten, give us a little tutorial on how to escape a triangle choke. It may not be as flashy as power-bombing your way out, but it’s a hell of a lot more effective.

Being the Renaissance man that “El Guapo” is, he manages to make a complex maneuver seem as simple as four steps:

As I watched Pat Barry fall victim to yet another submission at the spider legs of Stefan Struve during UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson this past Saturday, my stomach began to take on the feeling that I hadn’t known since I watched A Serbian Film for the second time. I knew what was going to happen, but deep in my atheist soul I hoped…no, prayed, that things would somehow change. And like a 7-Eleven cashier in Compton, I found myself on the wrong end of the barrel yet again.

Thankfully, the powers at be have likely given Barry another chance. And since we all know “HD” is an avid Cagepotato Fan, I figured I’d let the master of all things MMA/street fighting, Bas Rutten, give us a little tutorial on how to escape a triangle choke. It may not be as flashy as power-bombing your way out, but it’s a hell of a lot more effective.

Being the Renaissance man that “El Guapo” is, he manages to make a complex maneuver seem as simple as four steps:

Step 1. Keep your arm straight. Use wrist control, your opponents head, etc. to keep your opponent from sliding your arm across.

Step 2. Go for the head. Start by posturing up as best as you can, then grab the top of your opponent’s head with both hands, in turn applying a neck crank/can opener.

Step 3. Slide back. Using the neck crank to open your opponent’s guard, simply slide back on your knees, thus freeing yourself from the possibility of the triangle.

Step 4. While maintaining a hold on your opponent’s head, maneuver your own around his leg and move to side mount.

Step 5 (optional). Let your opponent stand up, grab the nearest salt or pepper shaker, and den attack de eyes and de liver.

-DangadaDangadaDang 

 

‘UFC on Versus 6? Jobs Report: Pat Barry Probably Isn’t Going Anywhere


(Pat tried to take that thing down and landed directly in a guillotine. Props: @hypeordie)

It’s official: A good personality + the willingness to stand-and-bang = job security in the UFC. Following Pat Barry‘s second-round triangle/armbar loss to Stefan Struve at Saturday’s “UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson” show, UFC president Dana White was asked about the heavyweight striker’s future in the company, to which DW replied:

“We like guys like that, we like guys that are exciting and guys that come out and fight. I don’t know, Pat’s a guy that we do like. He’s one of the guys that always brings it. He’s like, a lot of people were saying “you’re cutting Dan Hardy,” Dan Hardy comes to fight and always puts on wars. I like the Arturo Gatti type fighters. I like the guys who always bring it. And that’s what this is about. When you’re a fight fan you tune in to see fights and I like guys who do it.”


(Pat tried to take that thing down and landed directly in a guillotine. Props: @hypeordie)

It’s official: A good personality + the willingness to stand-and-bang = job security in the UFC. Following Pat Barry‘s second-round triangle/armbar loss to Stefan Struve at Saturday’s “UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson” show, UFC president Dana White was asked about the heavyweight striker’s future in the company, to which DW replied:

“We like guys like that, we like guys that are exciting and guys that come out and fight. I don’t know, Pat’s a guy that we do like. He’s one of the guys that always brings it. He’s like, a lot of people were saying “you’re cutting Dan Hardy,” Dan Hardy comes to fight and always puts on wars. I like the Arturo Gatti type fighters. I like the guys who always bring it. And that’s what this is about. When you’re a fight fan you tune in to see fights and I like guys who do it.”

Barry is now 3-4 in his UFC career, with three of those losses by submission (and one loss via divine intervention). He’s always a threat as long as the fight remains standing, but he immediately becomes vulnerable once the fight hits the ground. Should Barry be allowed to keep his spot based on entertainment value? Or should he have to get a little more seasoning before he’s allowed back on MMA’s most elite stage?

Is Pat Barry the UFC’s Best Losing Heavyweight?

Filed under: UFCOn paper, Pat Barry looks exactly like the kind of fighter who ought to be cut from the UFC. But in a sport where meaningful stats are hard to come by, the record books only tell a fraction of the story, which is good news for “HD.”

Ba…

Filed under:

On paper, Pat Barry looks exactly like the kind of fighter who ought to be cut from the UFC. But in a sport where meaningful stats are hard to come by, the record books only tell a fraction of the story, which is good news for “HD.”

Barry is 3-4 in the UFC, but he could easily be 6-1 or 5-2 or 4-3. And I don’t just mean that in the purely speculative, hypothetical sense, the way the flap of a butterfly’s wings could have resulted in the Nazis winning World War II. It doesn’t take a gigantic mental leap to imagine a world where Barry has a winning record in the UFC. All it takes is a look at his losses and a little bit of sympathy.

Fortunately for Barry, it’s the way he’s gone about losing that has earned him the sympathy, which explains why he’ll likely keep his job with the UFC at least a little while longer.

Consider Barry’s first three defeats in the Octagon. After a successful debut at UFC 92, he dropped Tim Hague in the opening seconds of their UFC 98 bout, only to get carried away in search of the finish and ending up in a guillotine choke. He rebounded with a knockout of Antoni Hardonk, then broke his most valuable appendages on Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s head before succumbing to a sloppy rear-naked choke.

Then, of course, came his infamous near-knockout (or, if you prefer, actual knockout followed by brilliant recovery) of Cheick Kongo in a bout that ended with one of the most spectacular comebacks in MMA history. Unfortunately for Barry, it also ended with him on his back, looking up at the lights.

You tweak one or two things in each of those three losses — a more patient attack, sturdier bones, the lack of a miraculous recovery — and Barry might be one the most successful UFC heavyweights of the past two years.

In fact, the only one of his losses that you can’t explain away with some minor blunder or bizarre misfortune is his most recent loss via submission to Stefan Struve this past Saturday night. That one was utterly and purely Barry’s fault, and this time inexperience and/or hyper-aggression weren’t plausible scapegoats.

Not that it should matter, at least in theory. There are plenty of UFC fighters who never caught many breaks but still got cut once the losses piled up. Regardless of whether Barry could have won those fights — or even should have — he didn’t. And in the end, isn’t that what counts?

Judging by UFC president Dana White’s reaction, the answer is: sometimes, but not always. Following the UFC on Versus 6 press conference, White explained that he was in no hurry to cut Barry because he “always brings it.”

In other words, he’s a kickboxer with an exciting style and an engaging personality, plus fans like him, so he gets a little more slack. It’s the Dan Hardy rule. Most guys can’t lose three fights in a row and remain on the UFC roster (some, like Gerald Harris, can’t even lose one). But if the UFC likes what you bring to the table, you might get a fourth and fifth chance to halt a losing skid. It’s one more reminder that this sport isn’t just about winning and losing — it’s also about selling tickets.

In some cases, that results in some truly forgettable missteps (see also: Kimbo Slice). But in Barry’s case, it makes for a welcome reprieve. Sure, he has some gaping holes in his game and he’ll never be UFC champion — or, most likely, even a serious contender — but he’s talented and he’s fun. Even when (especially when?) he loses it makes for a memorable night, and he’s always competitive, especially when the UFC is kind enough to keep him away from the heavyweight division’s better grapplers.

If Barry were a wrestler with poor striking rather than a striker with poor submissions defense, he’d be cut by now. It wouldn’t matter how much fun he was to interview or how narrow his defeats were. In that sense, keeping guys like Barry and Hardy around promotes a certain kind of fighting, and it’s the kind the UFC thinks it can most effectively sell to fans.

But Barry (and, to some extent, Hardy as well) is a case where this system actually feels just. He’s not a bad fighter; he’s just unlucky. He needs work on his ground game, but at least he never bores you. Even with a 3-4 record in the organization, he’s the best losing heavyweight in the UFC.

Of course, if he doesn’t want to find out just how much slack the UFC is willing to cut him, he’d better pull to .500 very, very soon. Winning may not be everything, but it’s still the most noticeable thing.

 

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Is Pat Barry the UFC’s Best Losing Heavyweight?

Filed under: UFCOn paper, Pat Barry looks exactly like the kind of fighter who ought to be cut from the UFC. But in a sport where meaningful stats are hard to come by, the record books only tell a fraction of the story, which is good news for “HD.”

Ba…

Filed under:

On paper, Pat Barry looks exactly like the kind of fighter who ought to be cut from the UFC. But in a sport where meaningful stats are hard to come by, the record books only tell a fraction of the story, which is good news for “HD.”

Barry is 3-4 in the UFC, but he could easily be 6-1 or 5-2 or 4-3. And I don’t just mean that in the purely speculative, hypothetical sense, the way the flap of a butterfly’s wings could have resulted in the Nazis winning World War II. It doesn’t take a gigantic mental leap to imagine a world where Barry has a winning record in the UFC. All it takes is a look at his losses and a little bit of sympathy.

Fortunately for Barry, it’s the way he’s gone about losing that has earned him the sympathy, which explains why he’ll likely keep his job with the UFC at least a little while longer.

Consider Barry’s first three defeats in the Octagon. After a successful debut at UFC 92, he dropped Tim Hague in the opening seconds of their UFC 98 bout, only to get carried away in search of the finish and ending up in a guillotine choke. He rebounded with a knockout of Antoni Hardonk, then broke his most valuable appendages on Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s head before succumbing to a sloppy rear-naked choke.

Then, of course, came his infamous near-knockout (or, if you prefer, actual knockout followed by brilliant recovery) of Cheick Kongo in a bout that ended with one of the most spectacular comebacks in MMA history. Unfortunately for Barry, it also ended with him on his back, looking up at the lights.

You tweak one or two things in each of those three losses — a more patient attack, sturdier bones, the lack of a miraculous recovery — and Barry might be one the most successful UFC heavyweights of the past two years.

In fact, the only one of his losses that you can’t explain away with some minor blunder or bizarre misfortune is his most recent loss via submission to Stefan Struve this past Saturday night. That one was utterly and purely Barry’s fault, and this time inexperience and/or hyper-aggression weren’t plausible scapegoats.

Not that it should matter, at least in theory. There are plenty of UFC fighters who never caught many breaks but still got cut once the losses piled up. Regardless of whether Barry could have won those fights — or even should have — he didn’t. And in the end, isn’t that what counts?

Judging by UFC president Dana White’s reaction, the answer is: sometimes, but not always. Following the UFC on Versus 6 press conference, White explained that he was in no hurry to cut Barry because he “always brings it.”

In other words, he’s a kickboxer with an exciting style and an engaging personality, plus fans like him, so he gets a little more slack. It’s the Dan Hardy rule. Most guys can’t lose three fights in a row and remain on the UFC roster (some, like Gerald Harris, can’t even lose one). But if the UFC likes what you bring to the table, you might get a fourth and fifth chance to halt a losing skid. It’s one more reminder that this sport isn’t just about winning and losing — it’s also about selling tickets.

In some cases, that results in some truly forgettable missteps (see also: Kimbo Slice). But in Barry’s case, it makes for a welcome reprieve. Sure, he has some gaping holes in his game and he’ll never be UFC champion — or, most likely, even a serious contender — but he’s talented and he’s fun. Even when (especially when?) he loses it makes for a memorable night, and he’s always competitive, especially when the UFC is kind enough to keep him away from the heavyweight division’s better grapplers.

If Barry were a wrestler with poor striking rather than a striker with poor submissions defense, he’d be cut by now. It wouldn’t matter how much fun he was to interview or how narrow his defeats were. In that sense, keeping guys like Barry and Hardy around promotes a certain kind of fighting, and it’s the kind the UFC thinks it can most effectively sell to fans.

But Barry (and, to some extent, Hardy as well) is a case where this system actually feels just. He’s not a bad fighter; he’s just unlucky. He needs work on his ground game, but at least he never bores you. Even with a 3-4 record in the organization, he’s the best losing heavyweight in the UFC.

Of course, if he doesn’t want to find out just how much slack the UFC is willing to cut him, he’d better pull to .500 very, very soon. Winning may not be everything, but it’s still the most noticeable thing.

 

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