I’m not sure how the world of mixed martial arts will remember Josh Barnett. His accolades are incessant: he is the youngest heavyweight champion in UFC history, he’s competed in Pride, Strikeforce, Pancrase, Dream, K-1, and even fought under the ill-fated banner that was Affliction (before his actions directly forced the cancelling of one of the most anticipated matchups in history), and he holds wins over some of the biggest names in the sport.
However, his detractors have plenty of ammo on their side of the table: Barnett has tested positive for steroids on three separate occasions, leading not only to him being stripped of the UFC title, but also forcing Affliction into the land of dust and ghosts. He also holds the dubious honor of being the first ever MMA fighter to pop for PED’s in Nevada, back in 2002.
For those who don’t remember, the company behind all those shitty bedazzled shirts that people used to wear decided it was a good idea to try their hand at fight promotion. After the first few shows went off without a hitch, matchmakers decided to do away with any false pretenses of legitimacy and make the fight they wanted to all along: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Barnett.
Everything was a go until ten days before the fight when it was revealed Barnett had tested positive for anabolic steroids. With no time to find a willing soul suitable replacement to fight Fedor on less than two-week’s notice, the event was cancelled. Weeks later Affliction announced they were withdrawing from the fight game for the greener pastures of t-shirt sales.
At the time, it was hard not to blame Barnett for the whole damn mess. He personified the “this is why we can’t have nice things” argument for fans and critics alike. After coming so close to the dream fight between Fedor and Barnett, we were forced to confront the uncomfortable notion that after three positive steroid tests, Barnett was just a juicer.
Six years and six wins later, however, Barnett has managed to put most of the previous decade’s unpleasantness behind him. After dominating the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix (another cursed event), Barnett was brought back into the UFC fold after Zuffa purchased his contract.
Expectations were, naturally, guarded. No one knew what to expect out of Barnett. Though Barnett had great success in Strikeforce, he did so against the likes of dudes named Nandor Guelmino and Brett Rogers; neither were a true litmus test of Barnett’s skills.
Former heavyweight champion Frank Mir would prove to be Barnett’s welcome back party to the UFC. Though certainly not in his prime, Mir was still widely regarded as one of the more dangerous big men in the sport.
Barnett knocked him out cold just a shade under two minutes into the opening round. For all intents and purposes, he was back.
The celebration, however, would prove to be short-lived. Barnett suffered just the second knockout loss of his career, his first since 2001, when he fought perennial contender Travis Browne.
Now, nearly two years later, Barnett is poised to make his return to the cage when he meets heavy hitter Roy Nelson this Saturday. Though he has competed (and dominated) several grappling matches over the last 24 months, Barnett has otherwise been operating under radio silence. But with coaching duties for the sport’s top up-and-comers, and a burgeoning acting career, Barnett has been anything but lazy during his time away from the UFC.
That’s why this Saturday is so important for Barnett’s career. By his own admission, he shouldn’t even be here right now. Having been a professional fighter since 1997, Barnett has gotten more longevity out of his career than nearly all his contemporaries. And yet, at nearly 38, it would be hard to imagine the “R”-word hasn’t come up for him.
But, given the UFC’s heavyweight division is at an all-time low in terms of depth of talent, it’s not crazy to imagine Barnett getting another shot at his former belt with a big win over Nelson this weekend. Throw in the high-stakes of Barnett’s first return to Japan since 2010, and you have yourself a “would-watch” event on your hands.
Main Photo:
