UFC 161 ‘Evans vs. Henderson’ Preview

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Heavyweights

Pat Barry (8-5, 5-5 UFC) vs. Shawn Jordan (14-4, 2-1 UFC)

The Matchup: Although the results have been mixed, Barry is almost certain to provide entertainment when he steps into the Octagon. The Louisianan has never won consecutive fights in the UFC, but his high-level kickboxing and willingness to exchange with much larger heavyweights allows him to stick around the promotion.

For once, however, Barry will not be facing a significant reach deficit on fight night against the 6-foot Jordan. Facing a foe with a similarly stocky build should make it that much easier for Barry to engage in the type of firefight he relishes. While Barry’s ground game continues to be a weakness, he demonstrated poise in escaping a series of submission attempts from Shane del Rosario at “The Ultimate Fighter 16” Finale before rallying to finish the fight with an overhand left-right hook combination in the second stanza.

Jordan, meanwhile, rebounded from a lackluster showing against Cheick Kongo in July to finish Mike Russow at UFC on Fox 6. It is worth noting that Russow had Jordan reeling from punches in round one before the former Louisiana State University fullback took control with takedowns and ground-and-pound in the second frame. “The Savage” will want to take a similar approach and expose Barry’s takedown defense, because he lacks the technique to exchange with “HD” for any significant period of time. Jordan was able to move into full mount twice against Russow, and he should be able to have similar success if he can plant Barry on his back.

First, Jordan must get into takedown range, which is never an easy task against Barry’s thudding kicks. Jordan has suffered a couple of first-round knockout losses in his professional career, so he needs to string together punching combinations in order to disguise his shot.

The Pick: Barry’s all-around game has improved since he entered the UFC, but he is still a liability on the ground. A sound game plan will have Jordan mixing strikes with takedowns to keep Barry off balance, and a steady stream of ground-and-pound results in a TKO triumph for Jordan in round two.

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