Josh Barnett at UFC 109

Josh Barnett was at UFC 109, apparently he was posing with Fans for pictures... Dana White said in the past (Around the Middle of last year) that he would love to have Barnett in the UFC.

Apparently Barnett is not Banned from MMA, he applied for a Licence to fight and was refuesd beause he failed a piss test. Its just a matter of time before he can re-apply. Im not sure if its as simple as if he tests clean this time he is clear though I think thats how it works.

With Strikeforce taking off Could UFC sign Barnett who was as high as top 2 or 3 ranked heavy recenlty to stop the competition getting such a big fighter? Also he would fit in well of UFC's Hw devision, Bring on Mir vs Barnett I say!

UFC have forgiven their figthers for Failing Drug tests time after time and wouldnt think twice about hiring a Known steriod user as long as he tests clean come fight time. Monson fought in UFC recently enough and doesnt he openly admit he juices?

There are many good fights for him in the UFC, but Barnett has let MMA fans down too many times now, i have no hope of him fighting in UFC. He should just work out his differences with Dream and fight in Japan.

Give me a choice between UFC resigning Barnett or Arlovski, and i pick Arlovski every time, even though Barnett is ranked higher.

Id like any of Arlovski/Barnett/Monson/SYLIVA! to be signed by either Strikeforce or UFC, Cant believe they are all free agents! The one I want more than any other Is Aleks, Its unbelievable how he has just flown under the radar recently.... Also is Sergi signed to Dream? He hasnt surfaced for a while bar that K-1 fight.

If Barnett did sign with the UFC he'd be the best HW in the UFC instantly. Some great fights for him, Nog, Mir, Cain, Carwin, Lesnar of course, and maybe a rematch with Couture.

It like to see Barnett in the mix in UFC, could he outrestle of Sub Carwin? He would have trouble with Mir or Lesnar I think They beat him, I think off the Roids Barnett would have trouble with Bigger guys though he probabally could keep Mir on his back thinking about it and his Sub defence is good, dont fancy his standup against either... Again Monson he wasnt exactly looking like Sugar Ray with his Boxing...

Stranger things have happened, Id love to see him in UFC. You think theres much chance? Do you see him beating the top 5 or so in UFC?

Bet you Crocop wants him to sign with UFC

Haha was just talking about Crocop! Yeah I think that would work if Crocop wins at 110, Barnett would be keen to avenge those losses im sure, and UFC might not throw Barnett into an already Busy Title scene in his 1st fight or 2.

I dont see why UFC wouldnt sign him? I wonder if he has Twitter... someone needs to ask him or Dana if they talked at all. Maby Toney vs Barnett.... They could both just stay on the Roids and it would be fare enough!!

Barnett said he never wanted to fight for the UFC again, im racking my brains and google but i cant remember why.

he also has issues with the DREAM organisers which puts him in a bit of a pickle.

I think Barnett is as good as Mir standing but doesn't hit as hard. His wrestling is excellent though and it's all aimed at working submissions and control. I think he could pin Mir and TKO him. He beats Lesnar standing up IMO. If he gets taken down he's strong enough and good enough to tap Brock off his back. Same with Cain and Carwin. He's got great takedown reversals and swift hips so he can counter a takedown and land in a good position.

Barnett said he never wanted to fight for the UFC again, im racking my brains and google but i cant remember why.

he also has issues with the DREAM organisers which puts him in a bit of a pickle

I guess its pro-wrestling for him then.......... He really needs to get his act sorted pronto, instead of pissing about (Pun intended )

Would agree with that on the Ground Anfield, I think he could TKO Mir or Tap Brock, Im not sold on his Standup though, Alkes punched the head of him... I think he is Typal MMA fighter who hasnt put the time into Boxing or Muay Thai. Cold be wrong but its sloppy Boxing with his hands my his waste and hard Kicks from Big legs but he would get told off for not turinging his hip and shin into those kicks in a muay thai gym! Then Again Id say he could take 90% of UFC heavys down.

Id actually Favor him to beat Mir thinking about it. Not Many people have Catch wrestling as a style these days do they? I think if Nelson can tap Mir Grappling Barnett can or pound him out, cause Id Imagine Size or not Barnett could keep Mir on his back.

I dont know about Carwin, weve only seen him fight 1 good guy so far so to be honest I dont know how he stack up to Barnett but as with Lesnar I dont know how Barnett would fare against a bigger stronger Wrestler with lots of KO power.

Catch wrestling is a lost art to be honest. Both Ken and Frank Shamrock trained a lot of it back in the day but they moved away from the pure side of it that Barnett practices.

Yeah Frank was the only other Catchwrestler I could think off Activley competing (I suppose technically so is Ken! )

What is it just Submission Wrestling? I wonder why fighters with wrestling background who dont take to BJJ or arent as Flaxable for BJJ dont take to it? You done any of it? Is it dated or just something that has been lost... like Karate before Machida came on the scene?

I've seen people train in it but never tried it myself. It's all about transitions. It's a weird blend of freestyle wrestling and traditional ju-jitsu from what i could make out of it. It's similar enough to Sambo in terms of the grappling aspect. Apparently a lot of the top catch wrestlers went on to become professional wrestlers over the years.

im no expert but BJJ has the "position before submission" approach whereas catch wrestlers will give up position to go for a limb.

JB said his style is to grab the nearest limb and pull.

i think its actually why Ken lost to Royce if you listen to Ken talk about it, he dropped for a leg, but royce held him with the gi.

pulled this from ea mma website:

We trained this past Saturday morning, and I have to say it was one of the best sessions I have ever had. The session was about an hour and a half, and included shadowboxing, takedowns, and ground techniques. He taught me many lessons about technique, and the psychology behind submission fighting. It was very, very smart stuff.

We also grappled for about an hour, and I can honestly say that he is a grappling genius. As far as how it turned out... Well, he is one of only two people I have ever competed against that could submit me at will, and when I'm not completely exhausted. His style is completely unpredictable, and that makes him very dangerous on the mat.

Training with Frank gave me a new perspective on the caliber of talent that we see in major MMA events. He also helped me understand the approach that a submission fighter or catch wrestler takes to grappling versus what a judo or jiu-jitsu fighter takes instead. Our training session will be very helpful for creating authenticity in how our fighters perform in the game.

-Victor Lugo, Game Designer, EA SPORTS MMA

it can be effective vs bjj of course see sakuraba!

i think the pro wrestling style seen commonly in japan (pureosu or something) is similar to catch, as pro wrestling is sometimes refferd to as catch as catch can.

^that also sounds like a great thing for the ground aspect of the game!

Sakuraba! Doh! forgot him! Yeah seems a good style, Maby it will make a comeback.

yeah all those guys, takada, Funaki, Suzuki.

actively: Shibata (even thogu hes more of a striker) and Tamura!

Chesty, that's one of the big differences between trad JJ and BJJ. BJJ was all about setting up and controlling the position before moving for the sub. Trad JJ was a bit more about the result than the build up.

I forgot completely about Saka. Another great catch wrestler. If anyone remembers Mr. Perfect, he was an example of a catch wrestler in pro wrestling.

and theres another red speedo wearing individual who's name escapes me.

i think if you look at those guys grapple you'll see good examples of catch wrestling.

remember Saku's sub on Galesic?
thats catch wrestling i think , he shot the takedown and immediatly into the toe hold, and he didnt give it up until his opponent leg was in bits.

oh and i know Guy Mezger teaches it too at lions den.

Barnett wouldn't be the best HW in the UFC if he came, he would easily be top 5 but not the best.

I think Mir would beat him, Barnett has never had great standup, Mir has the advantage. Barnett actually has a lot of power, Mir might have a slight edge in power but Mir's boxing is a lot crisper and his footwork is better as well.

Barnett is not a great wrestler, he is a great all round grappler but his wrestling is ok not great. In three fights with Cro Cop,he couldn't take him down once, I know Cro Cop has some of, if not the best takedown defense ever but he is a 220 pound man. Barnett is around 265 and if he was a great wrestler Barnett should get him down. Lesnar and Velasquez are better wrestlers.

Lesner would beat him I think, standing up Barnett might have a slight technichal advanatge but Lesner has a lot more power. Barnett's style plus Lesnar's physique means a leg lock or knee bar could easily happen but I think if Lesner fights the way he did against Mir second time, Barnett will never get near the leg.

I wouldn't mind seeing him in the UFC because there are so many great fights for him there but Id prefer to see him in Dream.

How come youd prefer to see him in Dream? Dream talked about havint Overeem in a Title fight, and Fedor is busy at the time... Could we see Overoid vs Barnett in Dream?

I think Barnett Tapps or Pounds out Mir on the Ground though I thin Mir beats him on the feet.

Like I said Ive a hard time Imagining him getting Lesnar or Carwin to the ground, Barnett being 255lbs without cutting, them being about 280-90 with great Amature Wrestling Background, On the feet either of them has considerabally heavier hands and a reach advantage... I think Carwin and Lesnar he would go in an underdog in my eyes

though I think he beats Mir, JDS, Cain or anyone else.

Because I always see him as a "Japan" fighter, he has the ring, no testing ect. There he can fight Overoid. Hopefully we would get a chance to see him fight Fedor at long last. After that there is Arvloski, Sylvia, Iganov, Aleks, Werdum ect.

I think Mir would beat him honestly, Barnett looked really shit against Yvel who is awful on the ground. It took him the best part of 3 rounds to finish him and thats because Yvel is a pussy. Mir isn't world class on the ground but he has enough of a ground game to avoid submissions and the mount. He could possibly lock in an armbar or something if Barnett gets careless, which is possible with Barnett's style. Standing up its all Mir.

Carwin vs Barnett would be a great fight, im not sure who to pick. Id probably edge towards Barnett getting a submission but it won't be easy, Carwin has better striking, better wrestling and has pretty good BJJ as well. I think it was Anfield who said he was a brown belt under an 8th degree black belt.

I think Velasquez would beat him, he has much better wrestling. Really it depends, if he avoids Nog's submissions and controls him well then I pick him if he gets submitted from a stupid mistake then I would pick Barnett.

ChelseaQuinsfan wrote:
I think Mir would beat him honestly, Barnett looked really shit against Yvel who is awful on the ground. It took him the best part of 3 rounds to finish him and thats because Yvel is a pussy. Mir isn't world class on the ground but he has enough of a ground game to avoid submissions and the mount. He could possibly lock in an armbar or something if Barnett gets careless, which is possible with Barnett's style. Standing up its all Mir.

wow. Barnett looked dominant against Yvel who is a legit BJJ purple belt and has been submitted twice in 52 fights and has a bunch of sub wins.

Mir's biggest weakness is ground and pound fighters, he has been KOd on the ground 4 times.

Barnett is in my opinion almost if not just as good of a striker as Mir and has a much better chin.
Who KO'd Barnett? Rizzo was an exhaustion ko like Rolles on Saturday. and hes faced huge punchers.

Barnett is light years ahead of Mir on the ground and i say that with 100% confidence, not only because of his superior wrestling and Mirs weakness to GNP, but Barnett is the reigning No-gi BJJ world champion. Mir has never come close to that, he was tapped by Big Country.

I think people are overrating Carwin, a come from behind win over Gonzaga where he was rocked and taken down in the first minute is his entire career at the high level.
Barnett would beat Carwin i think, with a KO or submission or decision.


Lesnar? impossible to call.

I think Barnett is over rated by many here. I think alot of Guys in top 10 can either beat him or cause him alot of problems. He is a good fighter, with some good wins but no way does he go through all the top guys at UFC. Lesnar,Mir,Nog,Carwin can beat him, Cain possibly can, Crocop possibly beat him again. Gonzaga-Barnett would be a great fight.

Look at Barnetts last 7 wins:

Yvel,Rizzo,Monson,Yoshida good but not great wins, there the only reason people thought he was no.2 because he put together a streak of wins against fighters not in top 10, while the top guys were taking wins off each other in UFC and other.

Lost to Nog and Crocop, and a win against a bum(in mma) Nastula who was actually beating Barnett before the sub.