Las Vegas, NV — It’s been a good couple of weeks for Canadian MMA.
After Jasmine Jasudavicius and Mike Malott picked up big wins at the Apex, fellow Canuck Marc-Andre Barriault showed up and showed out at UFC 285.
The Quebec middleweight’s war with a game Julian Marquez ended in the second round, as he lit up his opponent with punches, knees, elbows — everything but the kitchen sink.
Barriault knew coming in that Marquez had a tendency to come forward, calling him a “durable, strong guy. But I was getting prepared just to be myself — fight hard, just [be] who I am. Power Bar. More defined goals, more dangerous. This is exactly the kind of fight I can bring every time.”
The fight was very much a Barriault fight, though he admits he needs to show some restraint at times. “I like to brawl, but I have to be smart, when is a good time, you know? As soon as I taste the blood, I like to go for the kill, but we have 15 minutes to work, so I need to keep my composure, and just pick my shots, and when the time comes just blast him. This is exactly what I did in the second round.”
Barriault now calls Florida home, but he continues to represent the red and white of Canada. “Even if I moved to Florida for maybe the last couple of years, I’m still representing my country. I’m very happy to represent Canada tonight, and hopefully I can fight soon in Canada.”
Dana White confirmed Saturday that the promotion is looking to return to the country, which is has not visited since prior to the coronavirus pandemic. A Fight Night event in Vancouver in September 2019 was the last Canada has seen of the UFC.
As for his recent success, Barriault has chalked that up to a number of factors. “I met a new girl, I moved to Florida, I like to explore some new things. I feel like I’m more mature right now, as a fighter, as a human being. I’m just looking forward right now,” he stated. “I’m 33, I feel like I’m in my prime so I just want to keep the ball rolling.”
With that in mind, Barriault wants stay busy, especially if he can fight at home. As to when, “it depends, if UFC comes back to Canada soon, or they know they can call me any time for a last minute fight,” said Barriault. “I’m always in shape, I train with the best in South Florida, so we’ll see.”
Watch the full UFC 285 post-fight press conference with Marc-Andre Barriault above.
