If you're a basketball fan, have you ever wanted to play one-on-one with Michael Jordan? For tennis fans, have you ever wanted to stand across the net from John McEnroe? As a mixed martial arts fan, Pat Barry had a poster of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic on his wall. That's who he wanted to be like.

Years later, Barry and "Cro Cop" are set to face off. The veteran versus a guy in his first fight off of the prelims. At UFC 115, the two will likely engage a stand up war. With an 18-6-1 kickboxing record and a 5-1 MMA, all five of Barry's wins have come via (T)KO. Cro Cop's not too far away, with 20 of his 26 wins coming via (T)KO.

A week before his most career-defining and prominent MMA fight, Barry found time to talk to FiveKnuckles.com about what it means to win, the power of coaches, and why Cro Cop is still dangerous.

FiveKnuckles.com: We have to start with the Techno Viking. How'd you start doing the dance?

Pat Barry: Was joking around with a few guys at a barber shop. One guy video taped it and put it on the Internet. I never expected that thing to be as big as it turned out to be.

FiveKnuckles.com: You're fighting Cro Cop next. You've said you had his poster on your wall and that he's a legend. Have you played UFC Undisputed: Barry vs. Cro Cop?

Pat Barry: I played it and put myself up against him and it was going pretty well until he kicked me in the face and knocked me out. And now I'm not gonna play it again. Not ‘til after the fight.

FiveKnuckles.com: What still makes Cro Cop dangerous?

Pat Barry: What do I think makes Cro Cop still dangerous? He's still alive!

FiveKnuckles.com: A lot of people are saying that he's slowed down since his days in Pride?

Pat Barry: Anybody out there who says that Cro Cop isn't the man that he used to be can feel free to take my place next Saturday and fight him for me. Anybody who thinks that he is not dangerous can prove a point by getting in there and fighting for me. Cro Cop is still as dangerous as he's always been. He's forced the sport to evolve. I solely blame him as being one of the pioneers and one of the guys who has forced MMA to evolve to the level that it's at now. Because when he came on, the destruction was wreaking havoc on everyone. He was leaving bodies in the streets as he was coming up the ranks. He's done what he's done, and because of him, there are guys like myself in the sport now-a-days. So he is still as dangerous as he's always been, it's just everybody else has gotten better.

FiveKnuckles.com: What do you have to do to beat him? What have you been working on with Coach Duke [Roufus]?

Pat Barry: Everything. I've been working on wrestling and jiu-jitsu, which is definitely my weak points. But I've been doing a lot of stand up also. I'm still learning a lot when it comes to the striking, because the striking game is changing everyday, so I'm still doing a lot with that. A lot of...