Bryan Barberena

Overview

Nineteen UFC fights, nine wins, ten losses, and the record still undersells how much damage he has dealt. Bryan Barberena, "Bam Bam," is a southpaw middleweight out of MMA LAB in Glendale, AZ, and he lands strikes at a rate far better than the UFC average. He also absorbs more than most.

That is the whole profile in one line: a volume striker who trades. Five of his nine wins are finishes, four by KO/TKO and one by submission. He comes into his next fight on a four-fight losing streak.

His UFC record is 9-10. His professional record across all promotions is 18-12-0.

UFC Career

Barberena debuted in December 2014 with a third-round TKO of Joe Ellenberger. He lost his next fight to Chad Laprise by decision, then beat Sage Northcutt by second-round submission in January 2016. A decision win over Warlley Alves followed, giving him three wins in four fights.

Then came a stretch of fights that went the distance and went the wrong way. Colby Covington and Leon Edwards both beat him on the scorecards, with a first-round TKO of Joe Proctor in between. In 2019, Vicente Luque stopped him with six seconds to spare in the third round, and Randy Brown finished him in the third a few months later.

His best run came from 2020 to 2022. He beat Anthony Ivy, Darian Weeks and Matt Brown in a row, with the Brown win a split decision. That streak of three is the longest of his UFC career.

The latest chapter is harder. He has lost four straight, three of them by submission: Rafael Dos Anjos in the second round, Gunnar Nelson in the first, and Gerald Meerschaert in the second. A decision loss to Makhmud Muradov sits between them.

Four straight is a real slide.

Fighting Style

Barberena is a volume striker who stands in the pocket and trades. He lands a lot, but he is also hit often and is not hard to find with a clean shot. He rarely goes for takedowns or submissions, so his offense is almost entirely on the feet.

His takedown defense is solid, but he has still been submitted three times. Five of his ten losses went to the scorecards, and two ended by KO or TKO.

Four of his nine UFC wins came by KO or TKO. Two of those ended in the first round, one in the second and one in the third. His one submission win came in the second round. Four of his wins went to a decision.

Notable Wins

• Robbie Lawler — KO/TKO, round 2 (4:47), UFC 276 (2022)
• Sage Northcutt — submission, round 2 (3:06), UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Bader (2016)
• Warlley Alves — unanimous decision, UFC 198 (2016)
• Matt Brown — split decision, UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Daukaus (2022)

Quick Facts

• Division: Middleweight
• UFC record: 9-10
• Professional record (all promotions): 18-12-0
• UFC debut: December 2014
• Stance: Southpaw
• Height / reach: 6'0" / 72.5"
• Team: MMA LAB - Glendale, AZ
• Born: Montclair, United States