It's been greater than a decade since Josh Barnett last set foot inside the UFC Octagon, but his return may be talked about almost for the reason that day he left a promotion.
Now with surplus 10 years between appearances, Barnett seems poised to help make his UFC resurrection a real possibility.
Barnett was most recently a mainstay in Strikeforce where he competed in the heavyweight division until this promotion folded earlier this year and most of the fighters under contract shifted on the UFC. It was completely different for Barnett, however, who finished out the last fight on his agreement with Strikeforce in January, and immediately after a promotion folded, his representatives began negotiating a new deal for him to land within the UFC.
Unfortunately, at enough time a deal could not be worked out, so Barnett and your UFC went their isolate ways with neither saying anything bad regarding the dealings with the additional.
Now just a few months later, it appears Barnett and his team want to head back to the negotiating table while using the UFC because the ex - heavyweight champion hopes in order to complete out his career along with the promotion where he first visited prominence so many issue.
"It's a myriad from things, " Barnett told MMA's Excellent Debate Radio about why he wishes return to the UFC. "It's the fans together with how desperately they seem to want to see these have weighed on my mind with regard to making a decision towards about to the UFC. I can go to places in public areas and people come up and go are you going to fight in the UFC? Create with Dana (White) or screw that Dana! I go I don't believe it's anything personal. I don't believe Dana sits at dwelling and plans and mess Josh, nothing like that.
"It's the place to be. If I really plan to round out my career I would go back there along with finish what I going and go directly following that belt. "
The relationship Barnett has shared with UFC President Dana White colored over the years is strained at times, but over the last few years the a pair of have seemingly settled no matter what grudge once existed. Now whenever Barnett's name is stated, White reacts with a good slew of compliments and generally has nothing but good things to say about the former UFC heavyweight.
The identical can be said meant for Barnett, who points out which his relationship with White is not any different than any fighter by having a promoter and the problems they had before are long buried together with dead.
"As much as everyone wants to don it Dana, I don't think there's any one person that has anything against me to be a fighter or an being. If anything, I'd love to just sit down with Dana and say I know what you need and I can pack that, " Barnett reported. "Tell me that you need somebody that can fill where I can fit with the skills that I have. Nobody is as fantastic a fighter as everyone that can promote pretty well me, talk as good as me, and potentially go forth there and grab the gold and become your champ at a similar. That guy doesn't are in existence. "
Barnett isn't sure when or in cases where a UFC deal will really come to fruition this time around where the last work just couldn't be finalized. He's hopeful, however, he can return to the provider and kick off an alternative relationship with a big fight with the heavyweight division.
The fight that most intrigues Barnett is a good showdown against fellow former heavyweight champion Frank Mir. The two fighters have been intertwined with each other for several years due to the fact Barnett and Mir are two of the finest grapplers in the scale, and a ground fight between them appears like a recipe for a very exciting matchup.
"In terms of guys like Frank Mir this can be a name that gets use my plate constantly, inch Barnett commented. "It's surprising in my experience, and I have some understanding why men and women are interested in that—we're both exciting fighters—but men and women are just frothing at the mouth to view me and Frank go at it within the ring. They have for many, many years and years. It's only continued to increase even throughout the last six months. "
While a fight with Mir is presents itself a potential wish report for Barnett, he's not necessarily contacting him out or anybody inside UFC's heavyweight division either. His business is so that you can sign a contract, train in the gym and then show up on fight night to set on the best performance possible irrespective of who is standing across from him within the cage.
Barnett's greatest desire may be to face the best fighters the UFC boasts, so whether it's Mir and another top name inside the division, he'd gladly face any one too for his return fight to the promotion.
"I'm not here to call people out and about, " Barnett said. "I don't really have got any intent in aiming to make fights happen because in most cases there's so many factors working that really take it out of one's hands, I don't really be aware of the point, but if I'm honest this thing does have star power but it's something that people continually ask everyone.
"(The fights) would get barnburners, they would be the stuff people would talk about for many, many years to come. "
Contract negotiations will never be easy so there's no time at all table for Barnett to really return to the marketing, but he's got a very good feeling that if the fans carry on and ask for him for getting back in the Octagon, Along with white, matchmaker Joe Silva and other UFC can make the application happen.
"I think it happens to be realistic, " Barnett said regarding the prospect of returning for the UFC this time. "I think if you would like it to be even more realistic? Go out along with write them, call them, tweet them if you guys want to make that happen. I think to step funding the ring and myself personally and Mir are matched up immediately, I think that's one right out from the gate that would obtain people really excited. When it's not Mir, after that whoever, just me being in the UFC is going to get people jazzed in place. "
Damon Martin is mostly a Featured Columnist for Bleacher State and all quotes had been obtained first hand except otherwise noted
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