- Admin
- #1
</p>
PITTSBURGH -- Mark Cheick Kongo down as a candidate for Knockout of the Year, as he survived a barrage of Pat Barry punches to knock out Barry in the first round of their main event bout at the Consol Energy Center for UFC on Versus 4.
The fight started slowly, with both fighters tentatively throwing leg kicks at each other. Then, Barry appeared to be on his way to a win with a right hand that staggered Kongo. Barry jumped on top to try to finish the bout, but Kongo survived and scrambled to stay on his feet. From there, he delivered two punishing rights that sent Barry straight to the canvas. Barry was out cold. The bout was stopped at 2:39 of the first round.
Both fighters had talked about how this bout would show off their more well-rounded games, but it still ended up a battle of two great strikers. Kongo showed off the strength of his chin in surviving Barry's strikes, and that he could stay calm and persevere for the win.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
• Fan makes hairy tribute to Twins' Mauer
• NASCAR wreck of the week: Tony Stewart gets served
• Ten most awkward NHL draft rookie photos
• Fans riot after team suffers relegation