‘The Ultimate Fighter 16’ Finale Preview

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Heavyweights

Pat Barry (7-5, 4-5 UFC) vs. Shane del Rosario (11-1, 0-1 UFC)

The Matchup: Barry is a staple of the UFC’s free TV offerings, thanks in no small part to his penchant for action-packed fights. “HD” has gone the distance just once in nine Octagon appearances -- a unanimous decision triumph over the durable Joey Beltran at UFC “Fight for the Troops 2” in 2011.

Barry is known for his world-class kickboxing prowess, but the Louisiana native has shown at least a slight semblance of a ground game in recent outings. Rather than slug with Lavar Johnson at UFC on Fox 3, Barry attempted to submit his powerful opponent with a keylock before succumbing to strikes against the fence in the opening frame. Barry remains a striker at his core, however, and he probably will not be winning a fight via submission -- outside of a mercy tap -- anytime soon.

Del Rosario made his UFC debut in May after a car accident resulted in a herniated disc that sidelined the former Strikeforce talent for approximately 15 months. The Californian had a decent opening round before losing to fellow prospect Stipe Miocic via technical knockout in the second stanza at UFC 146. The layoff appeared to affect del Rosario’s conditioning in the bout. That will improve with time, but more important is that he fully recovers from his back injury.

A former WBC muay Thai champion, del Rosario employs some of the same thudding leg and body kicks that his opponent does, although Barry might have the greater power. The 5-foot-11 Barry generally ignores his reach disadvantage to trade in the pocket, where he can land damaging combinations.

If del Rosario finds himself getting the worst of the action on the feet, he can attempt to drain Barry’s cardio by forcing tie-ups against the fence. The 29-year-old has decent takedowns from this position, and, as a student of Giva Santana at Team Oyama, he knows what to do when he gets the fight to the ground.

The Pick: Expect some furious back-and-forth action on the feet in the early going before del Rosario shifts gears and takes down Barry, earning a submission by round two or three.

Final Fights » The Prelims