Dean Barry using Conor McGregor as inspiration ahead of his UFC debut

UFC newcomer Dean Barry has opened up on his problems with anxiety and the inspiration of Conor McGregor ahead of his UFC debut this weekend.

The road that leads fighters down the path of reaching the Ultimate Fighting Championship is often a turbulent one. The promotion is known for playing host to the best of the best in mixed martial arts and that’s one of the many reasons why it’s viewed as the endgame by hopeful prospects – including Dean Barry.

With four cancelled fights in 2021 and a 4-1 pro record, ‘The Sniper’ is chomping at the bit to prove himself to the masses as the next great star out of Ireland.

His opponent this weekend is the one and only Mike Jackson, the man who took on Mickey Gall and CM Punk in his two previous outings.

For Barry, though, getting to this point was a harder venture than it is for most, as he told GiveMeSport.com in an exclusive interview.

“I’d just become a new father and I was going through a lot of stuff with my son, a lot of custody stuff with him, so I was in a really bad place. I hadn’t seen him in like six months. I was going through a really hard time with that and I lost my granny in COVID, and my granny was like my mum, she was my rock.”

“I went through so much stuff at the time and I was getting denied visas, there was no work, and I was just in a really bad place in my life.

Met Mike today actually a really nice fella looking forward to having some fun on Saturday. Those who said I’m way smaller think again. pic.twitter.com/nHVJMrINEy

“I was drinking really heavily – I’m not saying I was a mad drinker but I was going out partying a week or two out from a fight, I was drinking and stuff because I was escaping things in my life.

“Now I live a really healthy life. I barely