UFC On Fox 3 Fight Card Primer: Pat Barry Vs. Lavar Johnson

Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson face off during the UFC on FOX 3 weigh-ins at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. on May 4, 2012. Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

The UFC is looking to kick off the main card of UFC on Fox 3 with a bang, and these two dudes definitely know how to engage in some fisticuffs. On one side of the cage you have one of the most popular guys in the UFC, a guy who never fails to entertain. On the other side you have a hulk of a man that survived getting shot to come back and chalk up a devastating win in his first UFC bout. Pat Barry (7-4, 4-4 UFC) meets Lavar Johnson (16-5, 1-0 UFC).

Neither fighter is currently ranked at heavyweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, but Barry still gets votes and is currently at # 27. An emphatic win for either guy might seen them crack the top 25, at least temporarily. This heavyweight UFC on Fox 3 bout is the first bout of the main card and will air on Fox. The Fox broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

How do these two stack up?

Barry: 32 years old | 5'11" | 74.5" reach
Johnson: 34 years old | 6'4" | 81" reach

What have these two done recently?

Barry: W - Christian Morecraft (KO) | L - Stefan Struve (SUB) | L - Cheick Kongo (KO)
Johnson: W - Joey Beltran (KO) | L - Shawn Jordan (SUB) | L - Shane del Rosario (SUB)

How did these two get here?

Pat "HD" Barry is a stalwart of the UFC heavyweight division. He might be the shortest heavyweight you'll come across in the promotion, but he has excellent hands and brutal kicks. The former K-1 and WCL fighter has had an up-and-down UFC career thus far, going 4-4 in the octagon. His bout with Mirko Cro Cop was very memorable, as was his loss to Cheick Kongo where he almost had him finished only for Kongo to rise from the ashes and knock him out. He won his last bout against Christian Morecraft by first-round TKO at UFC on FX 1.

Lavar "Big" Johnson is a WEC and Strikeforce veteran who was shot in the abdomen on July 4th, 2009. He recovered and made his MMA return just nine months later, stopping Lolohea Mahe with strikes in the second round. Another KO win over Virgil Zwicker earned him a bout with top prospect Shane del Rosario, but Johnson was submitted in the first round. He was submitted his next bout as well, this time by Shawn Jordan, but made the move to the UFC when Strikeforce's heavyweight division was shelved. His UFC debut was against the ultra-tough Joey Beltran, but Johnson made it look easy with a brutal knockout win late in the first round. He'll look to pick up his second KO in a row against the smaller Barry.

Why should you care?

Are you kidding me? Two heavyweights with mad power are going to throw down to open the show. It shall be awesome, and you shall like it.

You can catch more UFC on Fox 3 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump.

SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3

UFC on Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Rousimar Palhares Vs. Alan Belcher Dissection - Dallas Winston

UFC On Fox 3 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke

UFC On Fox 3: The Grappling Tendencies Of Jim Miller And Nate Diaz - Ben Thapa

UFC On Fox 3 Staff Picks And Predictions - Tim Burke

UFC On Fox 3 Judo Chop: The Southpaw Striking Of Jim Miller - Fraser Coffeen

UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Pat Barry Vs. Lavar Johnson Dissection - Dallas Winston

UFC On Fox 3's Jim Miller: 'When I Get Hold Of Him, I'm Going To Be The Stronger Guy' - Steph Daniels

UFC On Fox 3 First Two Prelims Now On Facebook - Ben Thapa

UFC On Fox 3 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke