The UFC 115 card, which is likely for Vancouver's GM Place on June 12th, is continuing to take shape. Some time ago it was vaguely rumored that Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III would appear on the card. It was then unofficially announced that B.C.'s own Rory MacDonald (10-0) would face Carlos Condit (24-5) at the event
Today, LasVegasSun.com is reporting that renowned heavyweight strikers Gilbert "The Hurricane" Yvel (36-14-1, 31 TKOs) and Patrick "Get Hype" Barry (5-1, 5 TKOs) are also likely to appear at UFC 115, which is set to become the first ever UFC held in Western Canada.
Patrick Barry is well known to Canadian MMA fans as the 5'11" kickboxer who felled Alberta's massive 6'4" Tim Hague (10-2) at UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida. Once on the ground, however, Hague quickly turned the tables on Barry, locking in a fight-ending guillotine choke to secure the win. Barry has since rebounded with a second-round, TKO win over a former training partner, Holland's Antoni Hardonk (8-6). Throughout that fight, which took place on the undercard at UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun, Barry showcased a vast arsenal impressive strikes, including one solid punch that famously landed squarely on Hardonk's throat. Barry is now looking to continue his unlikely-little-man run through the UFC's heavyweight division at UFC 115 in Vancouver.
To do so he must defeat one of the fiercest Muay Thai strikers the heavyweight division has to offer in PRIDE stand-out Gilbert Yvel. "The Hurricane" is fresh off a disappointing, early TKO loss to UFC heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos (10-1) at this January's UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva. Yvel has since commented that he did not feel like himself that night, which he attributes the pressure of making his octagon debut,
"I was like in a dream. It was just bad for me. It was my first time in the UFC and you want to show what you can do. If you lose, they can cancel your contract. It's a lot of pressure." (Las Vegas Sun, Jan. 28th.)
"The Hurricane" will surely be looking to blow away all of Barry's hype with a decisive victory at UFC 115. That outcome seems very possible given that Yvel has scored over five times as many career (T)KOs as Barry has MMA fights.
Whatever the outcome, if this fight occurs at UFC 115 in Vancouver, B.C. MMA fans will surely enjoy the rare treat of seeing two of the world's most talented heavyweight strikers plying their trade inside the octagon.
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