There’s having your back to the wall — and then there’s being 0-3 in the UFC, and getting another fight. That was the case with Canada’s Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC on ESPN 11. Originally expecting to compete in Saskatoon on Saturday, his fight against Oskar Piechota had been shifted to Vegas. But it remained a must-win situation for the “Power Bar.”
Piechota had also lost three straight, and was 2-3 inside the octagon overall.
The big question heading into Barriault vs. Piechota was the effect each man’s respective slump would have on their approach to the contest. Would the likelihood of being cut with a loss result in a bar room brawl, or in a more conservative affair?
Right out of the gate, Barriault went on the offensive — but ate an uppercut for his troubles. Barriault stayed on the attack, however, looking to land his right hand, and doing so while Piechota had his back to the fence.
Barriault kept the pressure up throughout round one, hurting the Polish fighter toward the end of the frame. Both men attacked with uppercuts, but it was Barriault connecting and doing more damage.
Round two saw Barriault throw a spinning back fist that seemed half-hearted. He’d pop off another uppercut, which Piechota answered with a right hand. Barriault would then time a takedown well enough to avoid an uppercut, and put Piechota on his backside. This led to a slower pace while Piechota defended with a head lock, and Barriault worked to prevent him from escaping. Eventually, they would move back to the feet with just under two minutes left in the round. Again, the Canadian backed his opponent up to the fence, landing another uppercut. And then, the finish. Barriault had Piechota hurt, and he began to go down. Trying to defend while on his back wasn’t working for Piechota, as Barriault added a few more strike before the ref waved it off.
🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
It's a HUGE finish for @PowerBarriault #UFCVegas3 pic.twitter.com/3fctFXhMmh
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) June 20, 2020
Official Result: Marc-Andre Barriault def. Oskar Piechota by TKO, Round 2, 4:50
