Pat Barry learned from from his Kongo mistake

After wrestling phenom Cole Konrad shocked people by out-striking veteran Paul Buentello at Bellator 48 in Mohegan Sun, he credited his work with kickboxing standout and UFC heavyweight Pat Barry.

Konrad confused Buentello with an improved jab and footwork en route to his unanimous decision win and didn’t even attempt a takedown until the third and final round. But as much as his presence has helped fighters like Konrad at the Minnesota-based DeathClutch Gym, Barry say it’s also the perfect place for him.

“I went there because I need heavyweight training partners, I need wrestling and I need jiu-jitsu,” Barry said. “This is a camp that is comprised of 300-pound monsters, who all wrestle and all do jiu-jitsu. This is exactly where I need to be.”

Barry, a K-1 veteran, brings an elite kickboxing background to MMA, winning the 2003 and 2004 U.S. Open Sanshou Championship. The 32-year-old was first brought into DeathClutch last year as “hired help” to help Brock Lesnar prepare for Cain Velasquez.  He was brought back again this past spring to help get Lesnar prepared for his bout with Junior Dos Santos.

CONTINUE READING ARTICLE