The ups and downs of the fight game can be seen every week, on every card, and in the ebb and flow of results for the men and women that make the walk to the Octagon seemingly every Saturday.
As Marc-Andre Barriault readies to make his third appearance of the year this weekend in Edmonton opposite Dustin Stoltzfus, the French-Canadian veteran is in the midst of a two-year rollercoaster ride.
“With all my ups and downs in my career, to be back here in Edmonton, in Canada, I feel blessed that the UFC always thinks of me when it’s time to build a nice card,” Barriault said on Tuesday morning, brimming with energy as he looks to snap a two-fight skid on Saturday. “I think I’ve been battle-tested before a lot and people know that every time I have a challenge or setback, I know how to bounce back, so it’s not very hard for me to say, ‘Okay, it’s time to go forward and do what’s best for me.’”
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Last year, the South Florida-based “Powerbar” posted a pair of victories, stopping Julian Marquez in March at UFC 285 before out-working Eryk Anders at UFC 289 in Vancouver in a bout that earned Fight of the Night honors. The double gave the 34-year-old middleweight three wins in his last four fights, with his lone setback coming against surging Top 10 fighter Anthony Hernandez and positioned him for bigger opportunities at the start of the 2024 campaign.
In January at UFC 297, he landed on the wrong side of the scorecards in a tight battle with Chris Curtis, and then in June at UFC 303, Barriault ran afoul of promising Dana White’s Contender Series grad Joe Pyfer, who stopped him in 85 seconds. In the span of six months, all the positive momentum he’d built the year before was washed away, leaving the resilient native of Gatineau, Quebec in need of a bounce-back this weekend.

“When it’s time to break it down for myself, I’m very good at that, but I don’t spend a lot of time and energy on that,” he said when asked about the present lows following the highs of last year. “I like to just focus on what’s coming, move forward, and make the most of it.
“Even with my last two performances, I know what I’m capable of and I can’t wait to show to the UFC, to myself, to my team, and the fans from Canada.”
Barriault has been a willing traveler throughout his time with the UFC, having logged four previous appearances across his home and native land while also having ventured to South Korea in the past, along with making myriad trips to Las Vegas.
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He’s now six years and more than a dozen fights into his UFC tenure, a reality that is difficult for the Kill Cliff FC representative to comprehend, though it does provide him with a new milestone to target.
“It’s hard to believe,” began Barriault, a broad smile sweeping across his face. “Six years ago, I made my UFC debut in Ottawa, almost in my backyard. I traveled a lot, and I’ve been able to keep going at a good pace. I’ve been able to fight two or three times a year for the last five years, so I’m super-happy. I’m blessed and grateful for all the opportunities.
“I don’t think a lot about the numbers,” he continued. “It’s always good to be considered (one of the) top fighters from Quebec, to do maybe 20 fights in the UFC — that’s probably my goal; 20 fights in the UFC.”

This weekend in Edmonton brings a fun, familiar opportunity for the tenured middleweight, as he competes alongside longtime friend and former fellow TKO two-weight champion Charles Jourdain for a fifth time in the UFC. The results have been mixed thus far, with the best outcome happening when they delivered back-to-back, first-round guillotine choke finishes in April 2022, with Barriault finishing Jordan Wright and Jourdain following with a win over Lando Vannata in the very next bout.
While they train in very different regions now — Barriault has been in Florida for three years, while Jourdain remains in Montreal ahead of his bantamweight debut on Saturday — the two remain friends and always enjoy the opportunity to compete alongside one another.
“Yeah – we’ve been there before and we don’t want to (jinx) each other, but we know that we just have to get the job done, do our best like always, fight hard, and good things are going to happen.
“Back in the day with TKO, we were both champions, so it’s always a good feeling to see he’s still there, I’m still there, hungry, and we’re coming for a good moment for sure.”
Barriault had good moments last year, and though things haven’t gone his way thus far in 2024, getting a third opportunity to compete and a second chance to ply his trade in Canada has the veteran focused on getting back to basics, while also getting back into the win column.
“It’s simple: just be myself; make sure I’m first, putting the action,” he said when asked what he needs to do on Saturday in order to close out his year with a victory. “I need to remind myself that I’m the ‘Powerbar’ for a reason — trust my instincts, trust my skills, my cardio, and I know I can come out on top by just being myself.”
Should that come to pass, the elation he’ll feel standing triumphant in the Octagon will be immeasurable, but true to his nature, Barriault will aim to remain level-headed and focused on the future.
"It’s gonna feel super-good,” he said, smiling at the thought of getting back into the win column. “I’m gonna raise my happy super-high with the relief, but I know that one day you can be at the top, the next day you can be at the bottom, so I need to enjoy the moment and keep moving forward.”
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Albazi took place live from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on November 2, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!