Barry is ready to make dream a reality with UFC debut in Vegas
By Hayden Moore
THE DREAM of announcer Bruce Buffer calling his name out in the UFC octagon will soon become a reality for Tallaght man Dean Barry.
Barry is scheduled to make his debut in the organisation against Mike Jackson at UFC Fight Night on May 1.
Tallaght’s Dean Barry with announcer Bruce Buffer in Las Vegas
Originally scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi in January, the bout was postponed due to passport complications and has been rescheduled to take place in Las Vegas.
“I’m delighted. I was over in Las Vegas with a few mates and I was saying how one day I’ll be here fighting,” Barry told The Echo.
“I actually met Bruce Buffer when I was over there and said to him that one day I’ll be in the UFC and he’d be announcing my fight, and he is.
“It doesn’t get much bigger, fighting in the fight capital, in Las Vegas.”
Scheduled for three five-minute rounds at welterweight, Barry believes he has the edge over his American opponent.
Jackson, who has a record of one and one after losing against Mickey Gall and dominating CM Punk, has not competed in almost three-years.
“I started training last week. Gyms are open because they’re an elite sport,” says Barry.
“I’ve fought and even trained with much harder guys than [Jackson].
“I’m in there with blokes who are 200-205 pounds training, but look, all it takes is for you to get clipped once and it’s lights out.
“The UFC are giving me an easy one to start off with it, something to wet my toes.
“Hopefully I’ll spark him. I think he’s going to get desperate and I’m looking forward to getting into that flow state and feeling things out on the night.”
Barry signed to the UFC in November of last year after he served up an impressive first round knockout to the highly rated Abdulla Al Bousheiri.
Aside from a red mark on his record to Anthony Taylor, Barry has carded two TKO and a knockout victory.
Hoping to put together a run in the featherweight division, 145 pounds, Barry will enter the breach at the heavier 170 pounds.
“I’m hoping to have a quick turn-around after this one to get straight back in there. I want to fight three times this year,” says the 28-year-old.
“So I do need to be nice and trim heading into this one to make sure I can get down to featherweight afterwards.
“I did a test on my bodyweight and I should be naturally 163 pounds, that’s a healthy weight for me to be at.
“But you need to be doing your weight cut a long time out from the fight because you can run into complications.”
Barry mentioned how when fighters put their bodies through a drastic weight cut days before a fight it can lead to kidney failure, which is what happened to UFC lightweight Bobby Green last weekend.
“I have always taken this serious, but I could be 10 times more serious about it.
Now that I’m in the UFC I know this is my opportunity. So, it is time to get my strength and conditioning right to make sure I’m fit and healthy.
“My coach would always say to me, ‘imagine what you could do if you took this seriously’’ because I like to enjoy myself.
“I’d be eating healthy and heading to the gym but then sometimes I just wouldn’t feel like showing up, or I’d skip a meal or grab a donut instead.
“But your body holds on to all of those salts and fats and you could see it on my body. Now, let’s see what happens when I take that side of it seriously.
“When it comes to the fight, I always show up and it counts when you’re under those lights”
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