SuckerPunch Entertainment

If you didn’t know him before UFC 104 you will now! Pat “HD” Barry is now one of the fastest rising stars in the UFC’s heavyweight division after earning Fight of the Night and KO of the Night against Antoni Hardonk. “It was the greatest night ever for me”, an ecstatic Barry said.

This was Barry’s third fight in the UFC and many were still wondering if Barry was a legit heavyweight contender. The big question seemed to be if Barry was too small to be in this division? Leave it to the UFC to test that! Barry’s first opponent was 6′3″ 250lb, Dan Evensen, whom Barry decimated with vicious leg kicks. Although he dominated that fight, there were still questions about how Barry would fare with someone at a higher level. Barry’s second fight was against 6′4″ 260lb, Tim Hague, who Barry was clearly on his way to defeating until he knocked the giant senseless. Hague fell on top of Barry and caught him in a guillotine choke. This of course raised more questions about Barry’s ground game and his legitimacy as a heavyweight in the UFC, so Barry asked for another test. His wish was granted in the feared 6′4″ 240lb, Antoni Hardonk. With his udder destruction of Hardonk, Barry has quieted the critics and should have shut down any questions about his size. “Yeah, I was scared of him, he is huge and can strike, who wouldn’t be!” chuckled Barry about Hardonk, “This fight meant everything to me and I wanted it to prove to myself and everyone else that I belong here”.

Earning the double bonuses totaling $120K has definitely taken some pressure off of Barry’s back. “Man I came into this fight flat broke but I would never tell anyone that before the fight. I wouldn’t want my mom or my peers to worry, so I kept that a secret from everyone” said Barry. “Duke (Rufus) asked me in the airport on the way home to tell him the truth about my financial situation before the fight and I told him he didn’t want to know… but he told me to level with him so I gave in and told him the truth.” A hesitant Barry said to Duke,”Before coming to LA I was flat broke, not a penny to my name, and Saturday before the fight all I had left was the $13 from my food per diem money.” A moment passed where Duke just stared at Barry then Duke dropped his bags in the terminal and broke out in laughter followed by a coach’s embrace for his young fighter who truly deserves some financial security. “I’m not going to be dumb with this money and this goes to show that if you do right by people and stay on a positive path, good things will happen!” Barry closed by saying, “it’s going to be nice to know I can train without financial stress for my next few fights”.