UFC Live Preview



Barry



Kongo

   UFC Live: Kongo vs Barry takes place tomorrow night at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The main event is in the heavy-weight division between Pat Barry and Cheick Kongo.
   The original main event was slated to be Rick Story vs Nate Marquardt in the welter-weight division, until Marquardt pulled out of the fight earlier today, and was surprisingly released from the organization.
   This card features many entertaining fighters in various divisions such as: Joe Stevenson, Joe Lauzon, Tyson Griffin, John Howard, and Matt Mitrione, but only one fight really appeals to me on this card which is the main event.
   Cheick Kongo (MMA 15-6-2, UFC 8-4-1) is a talented kick-boxer from France. He has notable wins over Mirko Cro Cop and Antoni Hardonk. Kongo is extremely experienced with a great stand-up game with an unpredictable mix of kicks and punches, however Kongo has a very weak ground/wrestling game which has been exposed by the likes of Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir.
   Pat Barry (MMA 6-2, UFC 3-2) is a rising talent in the heavy-weight division with respectable wins over Joey Beltran and Hardonk. Barry is also an experienced kick-boxer, with deadly leg-kicks that definitely affect the mobility of his opponents.
   This Barry-Kongo Match-up is the type of fight I love. Nothing in the world of MMA is better than a stand-up war which is certainly expected in this fight. Expect lots of leg-kicks from Barry, and a variety of combos and kicks from Kongo, including some killer head-kicks.
   Stand-up battles such as this test the heart of fighter, which I feel both of these combatants have. One knockdown or one good punch/kick will not end this fight, because both of these warriors are so determined to succeed. Looking for this fight to be "Fight of the Night" along with a great knock-out ending.
Verdict? Pat Barry wins via TKO in the 3rd- Leg kicks are too deadly to handle and will wear Kongo to the point where he will just want to end up on the ground.