UFC 285 takes place this weekend inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. From Jon Jones to Valentina Shevchenko, some of the best fighters in the business are scheduled to appear in the event. But, there are a bunch of preliminary and early preliminary fights on the card as well and one such fight is between Julian Marquez and Marc-Andre Barriault.
Julian Marquez is coming off a loss against the “Robocop” Gregory Rodrigues. However, he beat Sam Alvey and Maki Pitolo prior to that. Currently, Marquez holds a UFC record of 3-2. He got into the UFC after knocking out Phil Hawes in Dana White’s Contender Series. However, he has not brought the same level of excitement to the main roster.
Julian Marquez (186) vs Marc-Andre Barriault (185)#UFC285 pic.twitter.com/N20skXEsnX
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) March 4, 2023
Marc-Andre Barriault does not have the best record in the UFC either. He has 9 fights in the company and has won only 3 of them. On top of 5 losses, his win over Oskar Piechota was overturned after Barriault tested positive for ostarine. His last bout was against Anthony Hernandez in September 2022. But Marc-Andre Barriault lost the bout via submission. So which fighter can the fans expect to win this Saturday? Let’s find out!
UFC 285: Julian Marquez vs Marc-Andre Barriault, Stats
| Stats | Julian Marquez | Marc-Andre Barriault |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 9 | 14 |
| Losses | 3 | 6 |
| Height | 1.88 m | 1.85 m |
| Division | Middleweight | Middleweight |
| Reach | 182.9 cm | 188 cm |
| Age | 32 | 33 |
Marquez vs Barriault: Fight Breakdown
Nicknamed “The Cuban Missile Crisis,” Julian Marquez has a 100% finishing rate so far in his career with 6 KOs and 3 submissions. On the other hand, Marc-Andre Barriault is also a good striker with 9 KOs. But he also has 1 submission win under his belt as well. So it is going to be a striking battle primarily.
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As per UFC stats, Julian Marquez has an average of landing 4.18 strikes per minute. However, Marquez does not really rely on his grappling to win fights, which reflects in his 0.00 takedown average per fight. However, despite having only 53% takedown defense, he attempts almost 3 submission attempts per fight.
Marc-Andre Barriault, on the other hand, lands 5.35 strikes per minute. However, he does absorb 4.83 strikes as well. Similar to Marquez, Barriault also has a 0.00 takedown average per bout. So fans can expect a firefight between the two fighters. Both Barriault and Marquez have only 1 KO loss each. So both have good chins as well.
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While Julian will have the height advantage, Marc-Andre Barriault has a much better reach. As a result, the bout seems pretty well balanced. However, with Marquez’s 100% finishing rate, it is likely that Julian pushes the pace early on. If Barriault can survive the onslaught, he can ease into the fight and cruise to a decision win. But judging by their recent record, Julian Marquez is the favorite.
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