TUF 16 Finale: Pat Barry vs Shane del Rosario heavyweight showdown set for Dec. 15

It will be a clash of hard-hitting kickboxers when Pat Barry collides with Shane del Rosario at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 16 Finale, which is set to pop off from The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., Dec. 15, 2012.

The heavyweight Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) showdown, which was confirmed earlier today via a report that appeared on MMA Weekly, will showcase two fighters who are both looking to rebound from devastating defeats and land back in the win column.

Barry (7-5) is coming off of a strange performance against Lavar Johnson, during which "HD" initially threatened with an unlikely submission before being battered against the fence by his opponent in the first round. The setback came on the heels of one of Barry's more impressive victories when he defeated Christian Morecraft with brutal strikes after fending off some close submission attempts.

Barry -- widely known (at least according to Joe Rogan) for his "K-1 level striking" -- has fairly good skill when it comes to the stand up. His biggest weaknesses are definitely his ground game and his fight IQ, which account for most of his career losses. He'll have to be on his game for his upcoming fight because he won't get an easy or one-dimensional challenge with del Rosario.

Del Rosario (11-1) was a well-regarded heavyweight prospect prior to a car accident that sidelined him for more than one year. He had put together three impressive wins in Strikeforce -- two by submission and one via technical knockout -- adding to his unbeaten streak. Unfortunately, in his latest fight, Stipe Miocic proved to be too much for del Rosario, who succumbed to elbows in the second round of their bout back at UFC 146.

Unlike Barry, del Rosario boasts a fairly well-rounded game. He can threaten with submissions, as well as be a terrific and powerful striker. His ground game may give Barry some serious trouble, and fight fans can expect him to enforce it when they collide in December.

TUF 16 Finale will feature coaches Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin meeting up to settle their differences with fisticuffs with Dustin Poirier vs. Jonathan Brookins scheduled for the main card, too

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