All the MMA News • Plus Intelligent, Brilliant, Addictive Points of View!

Independently Covering MMA Since 1993 • No Big Corporate Bosses UFC

Pat Barry says training with Brock Lesnar's DeathClutch camp bringing out killer instinct for Cheick Kongo fight at UFC on Versus 4

Jun 22, 2011 - 11:30:28 AM Pat Barry says training with Brock Lesnar's DeathClutch camp bringing out killer instinct for Cheick Kongo fight at UFC on Versus 4 DISCUSS ALL THIS IN OUR NEW MMATORCH FORUM ...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!



By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief



Pat Barry entered the UFC at the end of 2008 as a kickboxer, with his ground game falling well behind his striking skills. But as he prepares to enter the Octagon for the sixth time this Sunday at UFC on Versus 4 against Cheick Kongo, he's been taking steps to improve on his weaknesses.



"I've been doing a lot of ground game; I've been working jiu-jitsu and wrestling since I got into MMA, since the Dan Evensen fight," Barry said in an interview with Heavy.com. "I've been doing all the things I'm supposed to be doing, but I've been having no consistent heavyweight training partners to be doing it with, to be getting into a routine with."



"Every once in a while a big guy will be there, but you know, being at [Duke Roufus' gym, I had] Anthony Pettis, Erik Koch, Dan Downes, Alan Belcher; all these guys are 155 and 185. Being the heaviest guy there, you can do all the work you want and become accustomed to that, but then when a 290,000 pound Tim Hague falls on top of you, that changes everything. So I'm out here training with Marty Morgan and the DeathClutch guys now, and if Cole Konrad grabs you and lies on top of you, you're going to die, period."



Barry was brought into the DeathClutch camp by then-UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar in 2010, and has continued working with them in preparation for this fight. Getting in with Bellator Heavyweight Champ Konrad, along with other big heavyweights in the camp in Jon Madsen and Chris Tuchscherer as well as trainer Marty Morgan, is bringing Barry along as a fighter.



"If you can become accustomed to that? Cole Konrad is a monster. Brock Lesnar is humungous in the gym. Jon Madsen; these guys are all real live wrestlers, all heavyweights, who all do jiu-jitsu also," Barry said. "So what does Pat Barry need in his repertoire? I need heavyweight training partners, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu, and now I'm training with a bunch of heavyweight wrestlers who all do jiu-jitsu. You can't get any better than that. That's the exact concoction that I was needing to further myself."



"It's simulated fighting [in this camp]. You can practice wrestling all day, boxing all day, jiu-jitsu all day, but if you don't practice fighting, how do you ever get ready for a fight? This is what they do. You can actually practice fighting out here. This happens to almost every fighter: you get into the ring and when you throw your first one or two punches that land, generally, that's the first time you've hit a human body that hard with little UFC gloves on because you don't do that in practice. We don't go to practice and practice power punching with little gloves on because we've got to protect each other and make sure everybody comes back the next day. But here, these dudes are just big. They get mad at you when you don't punch them in the head as hard as you can."



Barry says he's come to a realization about his mentality as a fighter, and in working with this camp he's finding a killer instinct that he hasn't possessed in previous fights.



"I knew that was a part of fighting, but I guess I never really comprehended or grasped it like that," Barry said. "I never noticed that I [lacked a true killer instinct] I never knew until I got out here and started [training with these guys] that yeah, I'm the kind of guy who would sit there and say, 'Cheick Kongo just had an extensive back surgery, so when the fight starts, I'll just stay away from his back.' Which is weird; I never knew I was that kind of guy. You just had a root canal? I won't hit you on the left side of your mouth."



"Now, Cheick Kongo just had back surgery? I'm going to look for a scar, and I'm going to find it and bite it. I'm going to pick him up and do the backbreaker from WWF and I'm going to try to finish this dude to the point that he's never going to want to fight again ever. That's just the mentality that these guys have, and they mean it. Really, when it comes down to it, it makes the fight less intimidating.



"If it came down to it, he would do the same to me; they all would. If they knew any better, they all would. They would get in the ring and try to hit me in the head so I could never stand up again. If they knew any better they would because if they don't, I'm gonna do it to them. If I don't, I'm going to do it to you the next time we fight. I'm going to kick you in the head and it's going to be over with. That's going to be bad news; bad things are going to come from that and everybody knows that, except for Joey Beltran."



The bout with Kongo is the co-headliner of this weekend's fight card, which takes place from the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Penn. and is headlined by a welterweight bout between Nate Marquardt and Rick Story.



Link to Original Source Article



Penick's Analysis: Extensive work with big heavyweights the likes of which he's getting at the DeathClutch camp in Alexandria, Minn. is only going to make Barry better overall. His striking game is excellent, his leg kicks are brutal, but when it comes to the grappling aspects of fighting he's been behind the curve. If he's changing up some of that and can come into this fight with Cheick Kongo prepared for the ground and prepared for the clinch, and can find that killer instinct to go for the kill when he's got Kongo hurt, he could show a very different side of himself than what's been seen in the Octagon thus far. This is a big fight for him, and if he's made the strides he suggests he's made in this camp, this could be a breakout fight for him on Sunday in Pittsburgh. Pat Barry entered the UFC at the end of 2008 as a kickboxer, with his ground game falling well behind his striking skills. But as he prepares to enter the Octagon for the sixth time this Sunday at UFC on Versus 4 against Cheick Kongo, he's been taking steps to improve on his weaknesses."I've been doing a lot of ground game; I've been working jiu-jitsu and wrestling since I got into MMA, since the Dan Evensen fight," Barry said in an interview with Heavy.com. "I've been doing all the things I'm supposed to be doing, but I've been having no consistent heavyweight training partners to be doing it with, to be getting into a routine with.""Every once in a while a big guy will be there, but you know, being at [Duke Roufus' gym, I had] Anthony Pettis, Erik Koch, Dan Downes, Alan Belcher; all these guys are 155 and 185. Being the heaviest guy there, you can do all the work you want and become accustomed to that, but then when a 290,000 pound Tim Hague falls on top of you, that changes everything. So I'm out here training with Marty Morgan and the DeathClutch guys now, and if Cole Konrad grabs you and lies on top of you, you're going to die, period."Barry was brought into the DeathClutch camp by then-UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar in 2010, and has continued working with them in preparation for this fight. Getting in with Bellator Heavyweight Champ Konrad, along with other big heavyweights in the camp in Jon Madsen and Chris Tuchscherer as well as trainer Marty Morgan, is bringing Barry along as a fighter."If you can become accustomed to that? Cole Konrad is a monster. Brock Lesnar is humungous in the gym. Jon Madsen; these guys are all real live wrestlers, all heavyweights, who all do jiu-jitsu also," Barry said. "So what does Pat Barry need in his repertoire? I need heavyweight training partners, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu, and now I'm training with a bunch of heavyweight wrestlers who all do jiu-jitsu. You can't get any better than that. That's the exact concoction that I was needing to further myself.""It's simulated fighting [in this camp]. You can practice wrestling all day, boxing all day, jiu-jitsu all day, but if you don't practice fighting, how do you ever get ready for a fight? This is what they do. You can actually practice fighting out here. This happens to almost every fighter: you get into the ring and when you throw your first one or two punches that land, generally, that's the first time you've hit a human body that hard with little UFC gloves on because you don't do that in practice. We don't go to practice and practice power punching with little gloves on because we've got to protect each other and make sure everybody comes back the next day. But here, these dudes are just big. They get mad at you when you don't punch them in the head as hard as you can."Barry says he's come to a realization about his mentality as a fighter, and in working with this camp he's finding a killer instinct that he hasn't possessed in previous fights."I knew that was a part of fighting, but I guess I never really comprehended or grasped it like that," Barry said. "I never noticed that I [lacked a true killer instinct] I never knew until I got out here and started [training with these guys] that yeah, I'm the kind of guy who would sit there and say, 'Cheick Kongo just had an extensive back surgery, so when the fight starts, I'll just stay away from his back.' Which is weird; I never knew I was that kind of guy. You just had a root canal? I won't hit you on the left side of your mouth.""Now, Cheick Kongo just had back surgery? I'm going to look for a scar, and I'm going to find it and bite it. I'm going to pick him up and do the backbreaker from WWF and I'm going to try to finish this dude to the point that he's never going to want to fight again ever. That's just the mentality that these guys have, and they mean it. Really, when it comes down to it, it makes the fight less intimidating."If it came down to it, he would do the same to me; they all would. If they knew any better, they all would. They would get in the ring and try to hit me in the head so I could never stand up again. If they knew any better they would because if they don't, I'm gonna do it to them. If I don't, I'm going to do it to you the next time we fight. I'm going to kick you in the head and it's going to be over with. That's going to be bad news; bad things are going to come from that and everybody knows that, except for Joey Beltran."The bout with Kongo is the co-headliner of this weekend's fight card, which takes place from the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Penn. and is headlined by a welterweight bout between Nate Marquardt and Rick Story.Extensive work with big heavyweights the likes of which he's getting at the DeathClutch camp in Alexandria, Minn. is only going to make Barry better overall. His striking game is excellent, his leg kicks are brutal, but when it comes to the grappling aspects of fighting he's been behind the curve. If he's changing up some of that and can come into this fight with Cheick Kongo prepared for the ground and prepared for the clinch, and can find that killer instinct to go for the kill when he's got Kongo hurt, he could show a very different side of himself than what's been seen in the Octagon thus far. This is a big fight for him, and if he's made the strides he suggests he's made in this camp, this could be a breakout fight for him on Sunday in Pittsburgh.



DON'T GO YET... WE SUGGEST THESE MMATORCH ARTICLES, TOO! Michael Bisping takes another shot at Anderson Silva after passing random USADA drug test B.J. Penn responds to sexual assault allegations, claims extortion from accusers Kevin Lee vs. Efrain Escudero, Danny Roberts vs. Dominique Steele join UFC 197 card in Las Vegas Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus HERE ARE EVEN MORE ARTICLES THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU



SELECT ARTICLES BY CATEGORY JUMP TO CATEGORY Quick News Spotlight Article Headline MMATorch Podcast Upcoming Events UFC Strikeforce Other News Bellator UFC Events Strikeforce Events WEC on Versus Other Events Bellator Events The Ultimate Fighter Live Event Reports Opinion & Analysis Keller's Take Penick's Take Ennis' Take Pelkey's Take Williams' Take Hyden's Take Amadi's Take Rich Hansen's Take Bjorn Hansen's Take Matthew's Take Perez's Take Leet's Take Staff Columnists The Specialists UK Scene - Park The Ninth Side Comic - Conlan Roundtables Guest Editorials Reader Reax Interviews Champs & Rankings Ask the Torch DVD Reviews Torch Flashbacks Torch MMA Polls Torch Trivia About Us Contact Us Prediction and Betting Contests Injuries SEARCH MMATORCH BY KEYWORD

All Categories Staff Picks Spotlight Article Headline MMATorch Podcast Upcoming Events MMA News - Torch Today - UFC - Strikeforce - Other News - PrideFC - WEC - Bellator PPV & TV Events - UFC Events - Strikeforce Events - WEC on Versus - Other Events - Bellator Events TV Reviews - The Ultimate Fighter Live Event Reports Opinion & Analysis - Keller's Take - Penick's Take - Ennis' Take - Pelkey's Take - Williams' Take - Hyden's Take - Amadi's Take - Rich Hansen's Take - Bjorn Hansen's Take - Matthew's Take - Sutcliffe's Take - Perez's Take - Leet's Take - Staff Columnists - The Specialists - UK Scene - Park - The Ninth Side Comic - Conlan - Roundtables - Guest Editorials - Reader Reax Interviews Champs & Rankings Ask the Torch DVD Reviews Business Statistics Torch Flashbacks Torch MMA Polls Torch Trivia VIP Feature Alert About Us Contact Us - UFC 100 COVERAGE - UFC 100 Predictions - UFC 100 Latest News - UFC 100 Editorials - UFC 100 History - UFC 100 Profiles - UFC 100 Audio Updates - UFC 101 COVERAGE - UFC 101 Predictions - UFC 101 Latest News - UFC 101 Editorials - UFC 101 History - UFC 101 Profiles - UFC 101 Audio Updates - UFC 102 COVERAGE - UFC 102 Predictions - UFC 102 Latest News - UFC 102 Editorials - UFC 102 History - UFC 102 Profiles - UFC 102 Audio Updates - UFC 103 COVERAGE - UFC 103 Predictions - UFC 103 Latest News - UFC 103 Editorials - UFC 103 History - UFC 103 Profiles - UFC 103 Audio Updates - UFC 104 COVERAGE Prediction and Betting Contests Injuries

MMATORCH CALENDAR OF EVENTS CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF UPCOMING MMA EVENTS CLICK TO SEE A UFC VIDEO BELOW

ARTICLES OF INTEREST ELSEWHERE Loading... MMATORCH POLL - VOTE NOW! Will T.J. Dillashaw and Urijah Faber eventually fight? Yes - They're bound to meet after Dillashaw left Team Alpha Male Probably - It seems a lot more likely with Dillashaw leaving Faber's team Probably Not - They might be more willing to, but unlikely to actually happen No - Faber's not close to a title fight and it just won't happen pollcode.com free polls Do you think Daniel Cormier will defeat returning Jon Jones to legitimize UFC Light Heavyweight Title reign? Yes - He's looked great against Rumble Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson, and he'll beat Jones too It's possible - I think it's more likely than I did earlier this year No - He lost clearly in January, and Jones will come back strong in early 2016 pollcode.com free polls VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

MMATORCH WEEKLY LIVECAST Listen to the weekly MMATORCH LIVECAST on Blog Talk Radio

