Sherdog’s Top 10: One-Round Fights

Cheick Kongo pulled off an amazing comeback. | Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

10. Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry
UFC Live 4 “Kongo vs. Barry”
June 26, 2011

The UFC’s fourth effort on Versus was a mess from beginning to end. Anthony Johnson was expected to face Nate Marquardt in the headliner, but he pulled out and was replaced by Rick Story. Marquardt was removed the day of the weigh-ins because he failed to properly disclose his use of testosterone replacement therapy, which forced the UFC to insert Charlie Brenneman into a bout with Story.

All of these changes left heavyweight veterans Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry as the only viable headliners for the event. Kongo was mostly a grinding mid-card gatekeeper despite his striking credentials, while Barry was a mid-card action fighter; that left viewers with some small hope that their bout would end up being entertaining.

The first two minutes were relatively uneventful. Barry and Kongo traded low kicks as the Frenchman circled and tried to maintain the distance against his shorter opponent, while the American tried and failed to close the gap. With 2:45 left in the round, however, Barry absolutely flattened Kongo with a looping right hook. His arms limp, the Frenchman somehow managed to survive the follow-up shots and get back to his feet, only to be leveled by another right hook. Kongo again regained his feet and staggered back toward the fence, and when Barry tried to walk him down, the Frenchman connected cleanly with a right overhand and then a right uppercut that put the American down for good.

Only 20 seconds elapsed between the first knockdown and Barry’s head hitting the canvas, and that brief stretch makes Barry-Kongo one of the best one-round fights of all-time.

Number 9 » Newton vs. Landi-Jons