UFC on FX 1 preview: Rest of main card
Mike Easton (11-1) vs. Jared Papazian (14-6)
In bantamweight action, the Alliance MMA product Easton looks to build on his successful UFC debut when he collides with the debuting King of the Cage champion Papazian.
The 27-year-old Easton, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu and taekwondo black belt, finished Byron Bloodworth in the second round of his first UFC appearance this past October. With wins over the likes of Chase Beebe, Josh Ferguson and "The Ultimate Fighter 14" winner John Dodson, Easton could be a rising star in the 135-pound weight class.
The 23-year-old Papazian, who is the cousin of former UFC fighter Jon "War Machine" Koppenhaver, carries a three-fight winning streak into his debut, which includes a five-round decision over a game Abel Cullum. After winning eight of his last nine fights, the aggressive striker is looking to make a statement on Friday night.
Easton will use his southpaw stance to frustrate the UFC newcomer before capitalizing on an opportunity to take his foe down, where he will proceed to reign down a heavy onslaught of shots to set up a fight-ending submission.
Verdict: Easton via submission, Round 2
Pat Barry (6-4) vs. Christian Morecraft (7-2)
Heavyweights round out the main card for UFC on FX 1 as the former K-1 kickboxer Barry looks to rebound from his second loss in as many fights when he takes on the Team Bombsquad member Morecaraft.
Barry, 32, is coming off an arduous training camp alongside Brock Lesnar at Team DeathClutch as he helped the former UFC heavyweight champion prepare for his December tilt with Alistair Overeem. A renowned striker with experience competing on the K-1 circuit, Barry has been able to work on some of the weak areas of his game, including wrestling and submission defense.
Barry was on the verge of finishing Cheick Kongo in their exciting meeting last June, but the chiselled Frenchman stunned him with a come-from-behind knockout that is sure to be repeated on highlight reels for years to come. Barry lost his subsequent fight to Stefan Struve by submission and he's now in desperate need of a victory to prove he still has a place on the UFC roster as his professional record stands at only 6-4.
Morecraft, 25, a talented submission fighter with power in his hands, was knocked out by Matt Mitrione in his last outing in June 2011. He has a clear path to beating Barry if he can take him down, but the New Orleans native has worked diligently on his sprawl for that very reason.
Barry will time Morecraft's offense and tactically pick him apart with leg kicks and power punches before the damage takes its toll and Morecraft is stopped with a flurry in the final period.
Verdict: Barry via TKO, Round 3
