Middleweight, Đani Barbir (7-0) vs. Mantas Kondratavičius (7-1)
Notable Notes
- Neither guy has gone to decision
- Barbir has never lost in MMA
- US debut for both guys
- Both haven’t fought in over a year
Dani Barbir
-Athletic
-Nice straight punches
-Good one-two
-Explosive
-Good jab
-Good distance control
-Submission threat
-Good ground and pound
-Poor head movement
-Hands too low
-TDD needs work
-Questionable cardio
Barbir is one of the more intriguing middleweight prospects in terms of potential, though his progress has been slowed by inactivity—he’s only fought three times in the last four years. On the feet, he’s sharp at range, with laser-straight punches that show up behind a crisp jab and a fast one-two combination. He’s difficult to deal with because he’s precise and quick, though there are openings for opponents who can get inside.
His wrestling is less defined, but his grappling is solid enough. He has good positional awareness, a knack for attacking submissions, and actively employs ground-and-pound. That said, his fight against Arkadiusz Maziakowski highlighted some concerns: he absorbed more shots than he should have, showed minimal head movement, was taken down, and fatigued around the four-minute mark. Facing a 6-4 opponent exposed some limitations, though to his credit, that bout was two years ago.
I’m high on Barbir because, with minor improvements, he could be a serious threat in this division. He has good size, skill across all areas, and with more experience and careful development, he could be slowly brought along in the UFC and make a significant impact.
Mantas Kondratavičius
-Strong clinch work
-Good knees
-Fast starter
-Power jab
-Hands low
-Single strikes
-Weak TDD
-Sloppy
-Poor cardio
-Poor grappling defense
It’s not too surprising to see Kondratavičius get this fight, especially with the season pushing the middleweight division. His last bout ended in a big knockout, which certainly helps his stock. His only loss came to Virgil Augen, a top middleweight prospect, so there’s no shame there. His recent wins aren’t bad, but prior to that he hadn’t beaten anyone of note.
Kondratavičius’ style relies heavily on aggression and going first, but his striking is far from polished. He has some power and targets the body, yet his technique is flawed—he throws wide, leaves his chin exposed, and mostly throws single strikes. When he does try to open up, he’s sloppy, and if he can’t secure an early stoppage, all of his deficiencies become glaring. His striking becomes labored, and his takedown defense is poor.
Off his back, his grappling is a major concern. He looks lost, makes fundamental mistakes, and any competent grappler would capitalize. Kondratavičius is dangerous early due to sheer aggression, but his messy style means he shouldn’t beat anyone who can effectively counter or maintain distance. At 185 pounds, he has too many glaring flaws and not enough offensive upside to pose a serious threat.
Prediction: While Barbir still has some questions to answer, there’s little doubt that Kondratavičius is a lower-level fighter. His only real path to victory is an early knockout, and even that requires drawing Barbir into a brawl. Barbir is the superior striker—sharper, faster, and the better athlete—and the gap is clear. If he chooses, Barbir can also dictate the fight with wrestling. Either way, he has the tools to win this fight on his terms.
