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Quote of the Day – Will Josh Barnett ever fight in UFC?
By Zach Arnold | January 12, 2009
From a recent interview with 8Count:
8CN – Any chance you’ll ever fight in UFC again? There were some rumors about a year ago about them potentially signing you.
Josh Barnett – Maybe when I was a free agent from Pride, but they never really made me an offer so I guess they weren’t interested. To be honest, I don’t really know what Dana White’s problem with me is, but when he makes blanket statements like saying Randy Couture is the best fighter in the world, if I’m a fellow heavyweight and I’ve already beaten him, I’m going to say something. Say what you mean, Dana, don’t just spout whatever. I just don’t let people get away with running their mouths, especially when I’m in a rival organization and he’s going to say something about the company I work for. But I’m a business man; I don’t really have to like anybody in the fight business. I just need to do my job and do my job better than anyone else.
Topics: Affliction, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 42 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
I would love to see Josh Barnett in the UFC, But wasn’t he on steroids when he beat Randy Couture?
He is still clinging onto a win over Couture from that long ago?
And he doesn’t know what Dana White’s problem is with him? After all he did to Zuffa in the past? He can’t be that naive.
What kind of answer is that?
We are supposed to believe that Josh Barnett’s opinion that he is a better fighter than Randy Couture is what is preventing him from getting signed back to the UFC? Even though he also admits that no offer has been made for his services since PRIDE’s folding?
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=4597&zoneid=13
They did give him an offer, but he felt it was patronising.
Also he’s not saying that he thinks his opinion of himself as a fighter is what stopped them from offering him what he wants. He said he’s not sure what Dana’s problem with him is, then relates the story about Dana saying that he doesn’t think anyone can beat Randy while Josh was in the room, and he felt insulted by that.
What’s so hard to parse here?
That would be like Dana White saying nobody can beat Anderson silva, when Ryo Chonan was in the room. I don’t think anybody would be offended.
Exept that anderson would beat chonan in a rematch and couture would get beat by barnett in a rematch.
If Dana’s praise of Randy honestly upsets Josh, I guess I can understand why he is not in the UFC.
Joe Silva was asked about Barnett a while back and he made a comment about Barnett being difficult.
Barnett is used to being paid a lot.
UFC does not like to pay a lot.
End of story.
Sames goes for Arlovski, Fedor, and others who simply want a fair percentage. Fighters sacrifice their blood, broken bones and brain cells – which in turn is generating hundreds of millions for the UFC – and in their minds, they should be compensated accordingly.
Also, Josh Barnett isn’t “clinging” to his win over Randy Couture. He destroyed him, and feels that he could do it again. He’s saying what he believes, and since he’s not under Zuffa’s thumb, Barnett can say whatever the furk he wants.
Meanwhile, Dana White can say whatever *he* wants…brilliant things like claiming the UFC where the ‘real’ competition for Fedor is…not in Affliction with joke opponents like Arlovski and Barnett, but in the UFC with semi-retired, 53-year-old actor Randy Couture, and WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.
I just figured out why Fedor hasn’t come to terms with the UFC yet!
I think he’s terrified!!
He might get matched up against someone he could never defeat like Nogueira, or a master striker like Frank Mir. Or worse yet, BJJ black belt Cheik Kongo.
Don’t sign Fedor…you don’t stand a chance against the best on the planet.
I don’t think Barnett should get credit for a win he got caught cheating on and the more he brings it up the more it draws attention to the fact that he felt he had to cheat to win in UFC.
Dana White is an egomaniacal douche… okay we all get that but if you want to solidify your spot in the world of MMA you need to win there since the largest percentage of top fighters fight there.
Yes Affliction has Arlovski and Fedor but after that who would Barnett face to increase credibility, visibility or legacy? After all if it’s all about money you better be putting yourself out there against some big names on shows where you’re being seen by a somewhat sizable audience if you want to demand major money…
Plus Barnett had a chance to get a crack at the best non-UFC heavyweight in Fedor and has turned it down. Apparently he’d rather pad his record with chumps than fight the best now.
Rp
I don’t know, discounting Barnett’s win because he was on junk seems to be a bit crass. Think about all of the guys who were juicing in PRIDE. Maybe we should just pretend their fights didn’t happen, either.
If Pride went out of business. If Bodog went out of business. And if Affliction is losing money….
Then isn’t Fedor getting more then a “fair percentage”?
Dave,
If they were juicing then maybe their fights shouldn’t be counted. If you cheat you don’t deserve to get credit for winning thanks to that cheat. If I were taking a test in school and was stealing answers from the guy next to me and got caught doing it, they wouldn’t say, “Oh well he got 100% even though he cheated so we’ll just let that stand.”
Life doesn’t work that way. Rules are in place for a reason.
Rp
Josh would be great in the UFC. He’s a charismatic heavyweight which is a rarity.
As for his salary, all heavyweights get big paydays. I still haven’t read anything about the disparity in pay between heavyweights and all the other weight classes.
No one knows what Fedor is getting, it’s all hidden by his Russian pals. I’m sure that for tax purposes, he’s being paid in barter of Korean brides and vodka.
What he really makes is up for discussion.
>>>>If I were taking a test in school and was stealing answers from the guy next to me and got caught doing it, they wouldn’t say, “Oh well he got 100% even though he cheated so we’ll just let that stand.”<<<<
True, but in Japan there wasn’t exactly testing for it. We all know that it happened in PRIDE, it is just a matter of them not testing for steroids or other performance enhancers.
The issue isn’t that it is wrong and shouldn’t count, the issue is it was a grey area. Fighters in PRIDE were on performance enhancers but nobody got into trouble. Barnett got into trouble in the US due to testing, but a Wanderlei Silva (just tossing a name out, not making accusations) wasn’t tested in PRIDE when he was on a giant killing streak.
If say we find out due to a streak of awful fights and looking 15 years older than he is and say that he might have had help getting those awesome wins, should we just discount his fights and anybody like him?
Nick Diaz beat the piss out of Gomi and had it overturned for pot (lol), should we discount that win?
Get over it, Barnett. That fight was nearly SEVEN years ago. Not only has each fighter grown since then, the entire sport has evolved. The fact Barnett was stripped of the belt he “won” from Randy due to ROIDS should make Barnett ashamed, not proud. So I’m amazed he keeps bringing it up when he should be sweeping it under the rug.
Looking at the last 3 years gives us a better idea of where Barnett and Couture stand with respect to each other. In this period, Couture has beaten Sylvia (Top 5) and Gonzaga (Top 10) and lost to Lesnar (Top 5) and Liddell (Top 5). While Barnett has been more active, he has fought a bunch of jokers, with the exception of going 1-1 with Nogueira and losing to CroCop for a third time.
I feel bad for Barnett, it’s not his fault most of the best HWs are in the UFC. It also angers me that the UFC might, in fact, be blacklisting him for no reason. People know where I stand on the UFC’s treatment of fighters. My objection is only to Barnett’s repeated claim of superiority over Couture (and the fact that many fans buy into it and give Barnett an absurdly high ranking).
I sincerely hope Affliction survives long enough for Barnett to get a shot at the winner of Fedor-Arlovski. It would be his first meaningful fight in over 2 years. And if he were to win that fight, he would have a legitimate claim not only at top-ranked status, but even at being the undisputed #1 HW in the world. And no one would question Barnett’s superiority over Couture again.
Dave,
The fact there was no testing in PRIDE does indeed call the entire production into question, including fighters’ records. (And not just due to ‘roiding, but also other forms of interference from the PRIDE management.) Those PRIDE fighters who can’t cut it in the UFC will plummet in the rankings, while others will excel and show they legitimately have it in them.
In Silva’s case, he clings to Top 10 status due to his knockout of Jardine. If Silva were to lose even 2 more fights (to LESSER-ranked opponents) he would disappear from all the lists. (Losses to higher ranked opponents ought not to affect one’s rank.)
As for Diaz-Gomi, that’s another issue entirely. It is both moronic and unethical to even test fighters for marijuana, much less strip them of victories due to THC being found in their system. First, the drug simply does not impact a fighter’s ability to train and develop physically like steroids do. To put marijuana in the same class as steroids, in a discussion about sports and performance-enhancement, is ignorance, pure and simple.
Furthermore, marijuana can stay in one’s system for up to a month after it is consumed, so there is no way to determine whether someone is under its influence simply based on a blood test. Therefore, to test for marijuana and punish fighters who have consumed it amounts to a policing of the athlete’s personal lives. It’s akin to voiding a fighter’s victory because he had a few beers 3 weeks before the fight. Not only is it senseless, it is a despicable practice.
Funny how Quentin Jackson makes a passing comment about PRIDE fighters being on steroids, and many ‘hardcore’ MMA keyboard warriors immediately take it as gospel.
if there is no steroid testing in Japan, how do you KNOW who is on steroids, and who isn’t? You can look at someone and guess, and then claim it’s fact. That’s it.
Muscular? He’s on ‘roids.
He beat my favorite fighter? ‘Roids.
I don’t like him? Obviously ‘roids.
And that also begs the question: if EVERYONE was on steroids in PRIDE, how is it cheating? If EVERYONE has the option to take them, doesn’t that create a level paying field?
Not to mention that the US steroid testing is very flawed. Take some time to investigate the system, and you’ll find that by their own admission, certain LEGAL, off-the-shelf supplements can cause a false positive.
Barnett did not get busted for off the shelf supplements. And what happened during Pride during that same time period has ZERO effect on Couture/Barnett. It shouldn’t even be into the discussion.
1. The fight took place so long ago it has no impact on current rankings.
2. Barnett broke the rules. Couture did not. No debate on this one.
3. As stated above, Barnett has not had a meaningful victory in a long time. since September 2006 to be more exact.
This sport seems to change itself completely every 2 to 3 years in terms of talent. Yet guys like Barnett & Lindland don’t fight top guys in their weight class for years, and they still get ranked very high by some. It’s a joke.
I don’t believe in blackballing, but if there is one guy I wouldn’t feel bad for if he did (by the UFC), is Barnett. He speaks irrationally in interviews. He screwed them over HUGE in the past.
>>>>Funny how Quentin Jackson makes a passing comment about PRIDE fighters being on steroids, and many ‘hardcore’ MMA keyboard warriors immediately take it as gospel. <<<>>>And that also begs the question: if EVERYONE was on steroids in PRIDE, how is it cheating? If EVERYONE has the option to take them, doesn’t that create a level paying field?<<<<
I actually agree with this, and it actually goes well with my argument. In the case of PRIDE I think it should be a moot point. Do performance enhancers give fighters an edge? Of course they do, but that doesn’t make their accomplishments null and void.
So Barnett beat Randy when he was roiding. Ok. Did he pay the price for it? Absolutely. Did he still technically beat Randy? Yeah. Actually, he slaughtered him.
I think if they met in that same timeframe and Barnett wasn’t on the gas the result would have been the same, just maybe not as dominating. I also think if they met right now Barnett would win.
I’m just in the camp of people making too big of a deal over people testing positive in combat sports. Except for Sean Sherk. Fuck that guy.
I actually read that he was innocent… found the article, just Google “Independent Drug Test Proves Josh Barnett’s Innocence”, first result. (I’d post the link but I’m not sure of the rules here).
Funny saying Barnett broke the rules and Couture did not when Randy is one of the most obvious abusers of Human Growth Hormone and by Rogan and his own admission had Hormone replacement therapy to bring his testosterone levels back up to a man in his 20’s. That is blatent cheating but its ignored cause he’s Captain America.
Right…in one case there is a documented failure, and in the other you have one Joe Rogan comment. Seems about equal. Randy has not failed any tests.
Comparing it to Pride is completely misleading. Randy passed a test on the same day Josh failed, in Pride there was no testing at all, it wasn’t really cheating to use.
You can pass a piss test pretty easily when THEY CANT PISS YOU FOR GROWTH HORMONE. Come on now Rome don’t be dumb
They can’t piss you for EPO either. 30 minutes of surfing the net will find you half a dozen ways to use extremely powerful performance enhancers without fear of ever being caught. All you gotta know is what they can and can’t test for in a piss test.
EPO and HGH are both blood test only PED’s. Does Zuffa do blood testing? No? Well everybody in Zuffa is obviously jacked to the gills at the time of the fight on EPO and HGH. They are all probably on the Cream and Clear too.
They are only responsible for passing the stuff they get tested for. Anything else that isn’t tested, you can basically assume it’s fair game.
I can’t tell if you’re trying to argue that Josh Barnett is a complete idiot or what.
It is idiotic to speculate on what they do to get around tests that has similar effects. Hard training in general has more effect on its own than taking steroids does on its own. There is no way to draw the line, you can sleep in an altitude chamber to alter your red blood cell level and legally achieve the same thing that certain banned substances achieve.
The only reasonable standard is to expect fighters to pass the tests for drugs they know they will be tested for. The line is too blurry, anything else is pointless moralizing.
“It is idiotic to speculate on what they do to get around tests that has similar effects. Hard training in general has more effect on its own than taking steroids does on its own. There is no way to draw the line, you can sleep in an altitude chamber to alter your red blood cell level and legally achieve the same thing that certain banned substances achieve.
The only reasonable standard is to expect fighters to pass the tests for drugs they know they will be tested for. The line is too blurry, anything else is pointless moralizing.”
Excellent post.
The only thing I would add to that thought is that the general public overestimates the benefit of steroid use in a MMA competition – as if winning a fight was solely due to the use of the ‘banned substance’.
Barnett has plenty of other big wins, but he beat Couture in a fight in which he (Barnett) tested positive for steroids and Couture tested negative, so Barnett really ought to stop mentioning that win as an accomplishment. Every time he mentions that fight, all he’s doing is reminding people of his positive test.
Mike Rome,
I just read your post on Bloody Elbow that Affliction has only sold 1,400 tickets so far. If this is even remotely true, I would say Barnett better make nice with Zuffa quickly or find his suitcase and fly back to Japan.
I did get a denial from Affliction that I’ll be adding to it soon. I posted it as a rumor for a reason, once MMA Junkie heard it too I figured there was something to it.
I think the playing field was even for the Barnett Couture fight.
—The only thing I would add to that thought is that the general public overestimates the benefit of steroid use in a MMA competition – as if winning a fight was solely due to the use of the ‘banned substance’.—
This is exactly the same boat that I am in. I’m pretty sure that most people don’t really know what steroids do. They help, of course, but they don’t make you superman.
I’d be more concerned with guys on drugs that prevent them from feeling any pain than guys taking things to make their bodies look more cut and helping out with their strength.
Steroids will not help with timing, accuracy, speed, technique, or improve your ability to perform any fighting art.
It will definitely enhance appearance, and of course strength (but a number of legal substances will add muscle as well).
I agree that taking something that will numb you to pain is probably the most troubling.
Everybody is on a drug that dulls pain. Its called adrenaline. You generally take it when you get really excited. Course if you’re roid raging, I.E. Coleman after injuring Shogun, you’re definately producing a ton of adrenaline at that point.
Also Santa. Ask Ben Johnson if roids help with speed. I can’t sit on my couch and take roids and be champion of the world, (and superior genetics will always produce the truly out of this world athletes), but roids will damn sure help me train through this partially torn meniscus by helping stimulate it to heal instead of it putting me on the shelf.
“Nick Diaz beat the piss out of Gomi and had it overturned for pot (lol), should we discount that win?”
Unfortunately we have to, considering that the Nevada State Athletic Commission overturned the result of the fight to a No Contest.
On steroid talk, I advise EVERYONE here to watch “Bigger, Faster, Stronger*” It’s a damn god documentary on steroids and other performance enhancers.
Here’s a tidbit for you all……did you know that the American Air Force is REQUIRED to take Amphetamines? It’s true. It helps them “Get in the ZONE” better. And many musicians (I am talking about clarinet players and the like, not just rockers) take Beta Blockers to calm them down. Beta Blockers are a banned substance by the International Olympic Committee. So why are athletes boned every time?
They don’t call Barnett the steriod baby face assassin for nothing. He’s used steroids for many of years.
Of course steroids will improve your performance in a fight, its stupid to think otherwise.
—Everybody is on a drug that dulls pain. Its called adrenaline. You generally take it when you get really excited. Course if you’re roid raging, I.E. Coleman after injuring Shogun, you’re definately producing a ton of adrenaline at that point.—
Have you ever done cocaine? Don’t actually answer that… But a drug like cocaine will make most pain null and void. People on said drug have been shot and kept going before. Pro wrestlers have been notorious to take the stuff as well.
Yo soy yo e mi esteroide.
When you’re fighting with steroid, it’s same as you’re carrying extra weapon with you. It’s not just unfair, you’re innoring the rule and conscience.
“In today’s MMA, we don’t see fighters fighting each otehr, but Steroid A versus Steroid B. ” Satoru Sayama
I did Steroids when the founder of Ergopharm made it legal for a little while. It definately improved my performance and it was those days when I frequently tapped out black/brown belts on the mat.
Do not underestimate what roids do to a fighter. Again, when you’re fighting under the influence of anabolics, you’re fighting with a weapon.