Pat Barry began his training at Vos Gym, the home of Ernesto Hoost. Hoost is known as one of the best kick boxers of all time, retiring a four time K-1 champion. So to say that Barry has some legitimate credentials in kick boxing would be fair. However, not all kick boxers are created equal and Barry never amounted to a successful striker in any stand up organization, including Chuck Norris' World Combat League. When he made the switch to MMA, he joined the folks at Roufusport to help with the transition.
In Duke Roufus, Pat Barry found a kindred spirit. Roufus was one of the few American kick boxers who were able to find success on the international stage. Roufus built a fight team to help likeminded individuals become more well rounded in MMA. Roufus also encouraged creativity in the cage which allowed for Anthony Pettis to pull off a highlight reel kick while running off the fence. Barry, while a creative striker never really did as much as his teammates Alan Belcher and Anthony Pettis.
Barry has now left his long time team to train with Team DeathClutch full time, the home of Brock Lesnar and Cole Konrad. DeathClutch is a primarily wrestler-centric gym and none of the trainers will really sharpen up the deficiencies in Barry's striking. Barry will benefit from the increased wrestling training but for someone who has been a striker his entire career, it is doubtful that Barry will become a ground fighter. So with the changes in training camp, what kind of Pat Barry will show up on Saturday? For someone constantly described as a K-1 level striker, will Pat Barry ever showcase the stand up one expects from a high level stand up artist?
More after the jump...
SBN coverage of UFC on Versus 6: Cruz vs. Johnson
This weekend Pat Barry faces a Dutch giant in Stefan Struve at UFC on Versus 6 in Washington, D.C. Luke Thomas of MMA Nation caught up with Barry yesterday at the open workouts. In the interview Barry talks about the knockout loss to Cheick Kongo. For those that need a refresher, Barry was beating the breaks off of Kongo and had the Frenchman out twice only to be knocked out with a hail mary punch. For Barry, it was the story of his UFC career. Whenever he takes a step forward in competition, he always falters.
The fight this weekend will be the most important of Barry's career. He faces a fighter in a similar situation with the UFC. Stefan Struve's career can be best described as "one step forward, one step back". The height difference is almost comical and Struve will be the fighter with the reach advantage. Barry is fortunate that Struve doesn't really manage the distance too well. The fight will really come down to Barry's ability to work inside and chopping down Struve with leg kicks. However, it really will be decided by Pat Barry's "K-1 Level" striking and killer instinct.
For all his striking acumen, Barry lacks the instinct to finish fights when he has an opponent in danger. His track record has been one where he uses his leg kicks and hands to the point where someone is almost finished only to back off and allow them to recover. It happened in the Mirko Filipovic fight and almost happened in the Cheick Kongo fight. He spoke about it on the phone conference bringing up the fact that even when he wins, he loses because fans and media are critical of his fighting style. He'll have the opportunity to prove critics wrong on Saturday night. He won't be able to rely on taking the fight to the ground and finishing Struve who is the more competent grappler. Barry will need to have go back to what got him into the UFC in the first place. And prove that K-1 level striking is something that does exist and isn't just a talking point for Joe Rogan.