Every fight is considered an important bout for the two fighters standing across the ring or cage from one another. However, this weekend, Josh Barnett may be taking part in the most important bout of his career when he takes on Daniel Cormier in the final of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. Either a win or a loss would have a great effect on his career and legacy within the sport.
Earlier this year, I pointed out how 2012 would be an important year for Barnett and a host of other mixed martial arts fighters. Of all the individuals that I pointed out, Barnett was the one with the most to gain from continued success at this point in his career, and everything hinges on the outcome of the bout this coming Saturday.
At the time of its announcement, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix was considered to be the biggest showcase of heavyweight fighters in mixed martial arts. That quickly fell apart after the tournament began, and the organization ended up being purchased by Zuffa. Even now, with the tournament final upon us, the future of the tournament winner has yet to be announced. In 2011, UFC President Dana White stated that the Strikeforce heavyweight division will be merged into the UFC roster. However, Strikeforce figurehead Scott Coker has stated that the winner of the Grand Prix will be kept in Strikeforce for at least one more bout. Either way, Barnett has to ensure that he is the individual who has his hand raised at the end of the evening.
Barnett has had a long and documented feud with White and others in power within the UFC. Barnett won the UFC Heavyweight Championship when he defeated Randy Couture back in 2002, but was immediately stripped of the title when he tested positive for three banned substances at once. His career was pushed over to Japan, where he competed for various professional wrestling promotions while staying involved in mixed martial arts through PRIDE. Still, Barnett was unable to keep his himself out of trouble, as a positive test while preparing to take on Fedor Emelianenko inside of the Affliction mixed martial arts promotion in August 2009 not only caused the event to be canceled, but was a main factor in causing the promotion to close its doors.
Now the “War Master” stands at the UFC’s doorstep once again, but must get through Cormier in order to walk in. The UFC’s heavyweight division is in dire need of a top contender that can draw the fans’ attention, especially with Alistair Overeem being on the shelf due to his issues with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Barnett’s flair for talking and his ability to win fights convincingly make him a prime candidate to step into this role. If he loses to Cormier, however — especially if it comes by a powerful shot that ends the night quickly — you can expect Barnett not to be welcomed back at all. Barnett needs this victory more than he has needed any other win in his career.
Beyond that, he must stay clean if he is welcomed back into fold. Another positive test for Barnett, and not only will the UFC swiftly cut him, but you can expect him to be shunned by the sport entirely. With so many positive tests on his ledger, it would be extremely hard to for him to be licensed in any state, nor would he likely find a promoter willing to take the chance of him ruining another event. Instead, Barnett would have to take his act back to professional wrestling, where he has built himself into a name that could be coveted by the likes of the WWE or TNA promotions.
At the same time, the UFC needs Barnett to win this bout. The list of contenders in the heavyweight division is very short. Overeem buried his chances with his elevated testosterone results, and beyond him, there are only names like Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, and potentially Mark Hunt. Not only does Barnett have the skill set to make intriguing matches within the Octagon, but he has the ability to promote a bout unlike anyone else in the division, which is exactly what the group needs to infuse the heavyweight division with the kind of excitement that has been there in the past. While the UFC is very wary of Barnett and what he has done in the past, they know they will only benefit from having a fighter and character of his caliber back on their roster.
The heavyweight division is in need of a major star such as Josh Barnett to get people excited about the group once again. Yet before that can happen, he needs to get a big win over Daniel Cormier this weekend, because if he doesn’t, all those hopes and dreams will go up in smoke.
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