UFC on Versus 4: Barry vs. Kongo Preview and 10 Random Pat Barry Moments

This Sunday night, June 26, 2011 two heavyweight kickboxers, Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry, will meet in what has the potential to be stand-up war of the year as well as knockout of the year.

Cheick Kongo has been fighting with the UFC for many years now. He won seven of his first nine fights in the organization, then he was given a title eliminator bout against current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez.

Velasquez handily won the fight, but in the fight, Kongo caught Velasquez and rocked him a couple of times. Kongo has the skill to hang with the top guys, but when his mind is not in it, then you never know what you will see. After the Velasquez fight, he fought Frank Mir and lost by the way of submission. In that fight, Mir landed a solid shot and rocked Kongo, which eventually led to Mir locking in a guillotine choke and Kongo becoming unconscious.

Since that fight, Kongo has posted a 1-0-1 record. He defeated Paul Buentello and next took on Travis Browne. In the Browne fight, both fighters were dead even on the score cards going into the third round, but while Kongo controlled and won the round, he was docked a point for continually grabbing the shorts of Browne which led to the round being scored 9-9 and it ending in a draw. So in all truth, this bout with Barry could either be the next step in what may be his final run at a chance to get his shot at the world title, or it could be one step closer to the end of a career.

Pat Barry is a kickboxer turned mixed martial artist. His MMA record is 6-2. Still young in his career, his biggest weakness is wrestling and submissions. He is working with the DeathClutch Camp, which is filled with wrestlers in the heavyweight division so that he can improve.

In Pat’s last fight, he faced the ultra-tough Joey Beltran. Beltran took everything Pat gave him and kept coming, proving a lot to the fans.

The one thing about Pat is that he is very defensive with his strikes—by that, I mean it appears that he fears being taken to the ground. Once he gets his ground game solid enough, he may end up being one of the best in the world.

When you hear about a matchup like this, you automatically think about a slugfest. That would be very fun to see; odds are Barry would get the best of Kongo in that department, but it would still be very entertaining.

In reality, this is what should be expected. From the start, it will be a feeling-out process. Once each find their range, expect Kongo to immediately press Pat into the cage and attempt takedowns. Kongo knows how risky it is to stand and trade with someone that has the striking ability that Barry has. If successful on these takedowns and the referee doesn’t stand them up, then Kongo should be able to grind out a decision, in a smart game-planned fight.

If Pat has really improved on his wrestling, then it could be a very interesting fight.

Overall, this fight has many possibilities for both men. Overall, Kongo is much more well-rounded, and should be able to dictate the pace of this fight. That being said, I have no choice but to take Cheick Kongo by the way of unanimous decision.

Now, please check out 10 random Pat Barry moments.

Pat Puts a Clinic on Gary Goodridge

Pat is an overall excellent athlete. He had a highly successful kickboxing career, and has never been knocked out in his career (TKO loss in kickboxing was by a cut). 

In this fight, he took on UFC veteran Gary Goodridge and from start to finish made the fight look easy and won by TKO due to referee stoppage.

Pat Takes Leg Kicks from Fans

Pat is all about his fans, and may be literally the nicest man in the sport. In 2010, he made a statement and said that if a fan ever sees him in public and asks to give him a leg kick he would allow them to do so, and this video is of when the first fan encountered him.

Pat Kicks the Punch Machine

Pat has some of the most powerful kicks in MMA and well, he wanted to see what his power was on the punch machine. He is all about pleasing the fans and in this video, he accomplished that. Must say, his leg kicks have some power.

20 Tacos for 20 Dollars

Hey, a man has to eat. He has no worries about making weight, so why not treat yourself to tons of food?

In the Snow in His Underwear, While Doing a Showtime Kick? Sure, Why Not

Pat is a man of humor. You never know what to expect out of him. In this case, he went outside in just his underwear and sparring equipment and had fun.

Pat Barry Wakes Up Passenger on a Plane

Just being honest, if I were on a plane and sitting next to an athlete, I couldn't sleep. I would try to have a good conversation with them, but to each their own. This passenger received a nice wake-up from Pat, and thanks to video cameras, we get to experience it.

Pat Sings in the Shower

I, in all truth, have nothing to say about this one, because personally, I cannot stop laughing.

Pat Literally Chops Down a Tree

Barry vs. Hawk. Barry uses his leg kicks to get a very dominating victory.

UFC Fighter Summit

While learning about social media and all that fun stuff, Pat must have become uncomfortable in his clothes so he adjusted his attire to something a little more comfortable. 

Pat vs. the Techno Viking

Not only does Pat have solid stand-up, an amazing chin, a great sense of humor and people skills, he also has one other thing...dance skills. This video speaks for itself. Enjoy!