Patrick Barry vs. Gilbert Yvel targeted for UFC 115 main card
MMAjunkie.com Staff,
MMAjunkie.com Jan 29, 5:17 pm EST
A slugfest of potentially epic proportions has been tapped for the UFC's first trip to British Columbia, Canada, as Gilbert Yvel (36-14-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is now expected to face Pat Barry (5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC 115.
Sources close to both camps indicated to
MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) that bout agreements have been signed for the matchup, which was first reported by the
Las Vegas Sun.
The fight is set for the event's main card.
UFC 115 is expected for June 12 at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. A headlining bout has not been confirmed, though rumors have pointed at a third meeting between former light heavyweight champions and "Ultimate Fighter 11" coaches Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz as the evening's featured contest.
The promotion booked the event shortly after the Vancouver City Council green-lighted a two-year pilot program to regulate mixed martial arts. Technically, the sport is still illegal under Canada's criminal code, but the government has not blocked shows in major cities like Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton.
Five weeks prior, the UFC touches down at the Bell Centre in Montreal at UFC 113 for the promotion's third stop in the city. The previous offerings, UFC 83 in 2008 and UFC 97 in 2009, have been fast sell-outs.
Yvel, 33, was unsuccessful in his much-anticipated octagon debut when Junior Dos Santos stopped him with strikes at UFC 108 earlier this month.
A striker by trade, Yvel was picked up by the UFC shortly after the collapse of Affliction Entertainment. In October, the Nevada State Athletic Commission granted him a provisional one-fight license after denying his application for a proposed fight with Sergei Kharatonov in February 2007.
Yvel shares K-1 kickboxing roots with Barry, who is still recovering from a broken left thumb suffered in his most recent performance against former training partner Antoni Hardonk at UFC 104 this past October. Barry rocked Hardonk early with punches and never let up, earning a TKO victory that netted him an extra $120,000 for "Fight of the Night" and "Knockout of the Night" on top of his $14,000 show and win purse.
A former World Combat League regular, Barry transitioned to MMA in May 2008 with the help of famed kickboxer turned MMA trainer Duke Roufus. Barry continues to work with Roufus and calls Milwaukee, Wis., his home away from his true home of New Orleans.
In a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com, Barry
anticipated a May return to action. With the recent booking he gets an extra month to prepare.
