Dean Barry and Mike Jackson will lock their fists in an exciting Welterweight bout this weekend at UFC Vegas 52 on Saturday, 23rd April, under the preliminary card.
On one hand, we have Mike Jackson, who is an MMA journalist and fighter, mostly known for his UFC unanimous decision win over the famous pro-wrestler CM Punk, which was later overturned to a no-contest due to a positive marijuana test on that same night of the fight.
On the other hand, Dean “The Sniper” Barry is an up-and-coming prospect from Ireland who has done quite well on the regional circuit before stepping into his UFC debut. He has won all his fights in the first round by knockout.
Dean is a massive betting favorite at -1125 over the underdog Mike Jackson who is at +700. It seems like Barry will be following the footsteps of MMA and Ireland’s biggest superstar, Conor McGregor.
Tale of the Tape
| Dean Barry | Mike Jackson | |
| 29 | Age | 37 |
| 5’10 | Height | 6’2 |
| 156 lbs | Weight | 170lbs |
| 71 inches | Reach | 74 inches |
| 4-1 | Record | 0-1 |
Fight Breakdown
Looking to impress on his UFC debut, Dean Barry (4-1) has been marked as a huge betting favorite going into this fight, this weekend. That is perhaps because all four of his professional wins have come by finishes. The Irishman is coming off of a knockout win over Drew Lipton.
‘The Sniper’ has an efficient striking and quite several weapons at his disposal to make some problems for Mike this weekend. However, his only weakness seems to be his grappling department. Dean doesn’t have a solid resume but it’s still better than his opponent.
As for Mike Jackson (0-1), it’s been a long time since MMA fans saw Jackson competing inside the Octagon. It has been nearly four years since Mike has been in action. Despite defeating CM Punk in his last outing, the bout went down as a no-contest on the same night, that is because Jackson was tested positive for marijuana after the fight. On his return to the cage, he’ll be looking to put up a show to impress the fans and improve his resume.
However, Jackson doesn’t have the required skill to compete at the highest level of UFC. His overall game is below average and his striking has a lot of holes. Also, his grappling is not something he should be solely dependent to use against his opponent in this bout. What I mean to say is, I don’t think he has the capabilities to compete at the pro level yet.
Who will win between Dean Barry and Mike Jackson?
Going into this weekend’s preliminary Welterweight bout, Jackson will have the advantage in the height and reach department. Barry isn’t a high-level striker yet, but I believe he will do quite well against Mike this weekend.
As I stated earlier, the main weakness of Barry’s game is his lack of skill on the mat. But Jackson doesn’t have the necessary skills to get the fight on the floor and hunt for a submission. So, I believe Barry is the better fighter here and he will use his striking to overwhelm Jackson, which will ultimately result in a stoppage victory for the Irishman.
Prediction: Dean Barry via TKO/KO