Pat Barry and Shawn Jordan promised to kick off the UFC 161 main card on Saturday night in Winnipeg with a knockout, and they delivered.
All smiles before the fight, and all hugs after, the two heavyweight friends engaged from the opening bell.
Barry started things off with a high kick and followed that a short time later with a straight right hand, but that would be the end of his attacks, as Jordan didn’t give him any other opportunities.
Jordan leapt at Barry, landing a right uppercut that dazed him. He followed that with another uppercut, and then blitzed him with punches until Barry fell to the mat, covering up.
Jordan jack-hammered Barry’s head with left hands until the referee stopped the fight just 59 seconds into the opening round.
It was a bittersweet victory for Jordan, considering that Barry is a good friend of his, but it gave him back-to-back wins for the first time during his UFC tenure.
“Everybody else has normal jobs you have to work every day. We’re friends, but this is a job,” said Jordan after the fight. “This is a huge victory. It’s bittersweet because it’s Pat.”
Jordan’s professional record improved to 15-4 with the victory, and more importantly, finally gave him some momentum to build off of as he attempts to climb the heavyweight ranks.