Josh Barnett

MMAstatsbox|name=Josh Barnett|
nick=The Babyface Assassin

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height=6 ft 3 in (190.5 cm)
weight=250 lb (113 kg)
nationality= American
birthdate=birth date and age|year=1977|month=11|day=10
died=
hometown=Seattle, United States
fightteam=AMC Pankration
fightstyle=Catch wrestling
wins=26
losses=5
draws=0
nocontest=
ko=6
submissions=15|

Joshua L. 'Josh' Barnett (born November 10, 1977, in Seattle, Washington) is an American heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter and a professional wrestler. He has an MMA record of 26-5-0 as of July 2008. Josh is currently ranked 3rd in the heavyweight division by www.fighting-mma.com.

Barnett is also known as an otaku to his Japanese fans. Famously traveling to the Akihabara district of Tokyo in order to purchase games, figures, etc [http://www.slcn.jp/josh.html] , and also using the theme song "Ai o torimodose" from the anime Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) as his entrance theme. At PRIDE Total Elimination Absolute, Barnett called out former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko, with a famous quote from the anime, "omae wa mou shindeiru", translated to "You're already dead".

Barnett is known for making humorous interjections before his fights while the referee is going over the rules with both fighters in the center of the ring. It is much more common for a mixed martial artist to use this opportunity to "stare down" their opponent and try to intimidate them. In a recent match against Hidehiko Yoshida, Barnett asked the referee to repeat himself when he told the fighters that attacking the groin was not allowed, and then feigned surprise and disappointment at this (virtually universal) prohibition. Prior to his third bout with Mirko Filipovic, Barnett can be heard saying amidst friendly conversation with his opponent, "You got a eyelash right here... no, I'm serious, right here... no, that eye," motioning to his own face, then Mirko's.

Biography

Early Career in the U.S and UFC

A graduate of Ballard High School in Seattle, Washington, Barnett became the youngest UFC heavyweight champion after defeating Randy Couture in early 2002. Later that year, the title was stripped from Barnett after he allegedly tested positive for EQ aka Boldenone, an anabolic steroid. His fighting license was temporarily suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Barnett and Matt Hume, his trainer at the time, vigorously disputed the results of the NSAC testing. They pointed to irregularities in the timing of the allegations (NSAC claims Barnett also tested positive 4 months prior to the fight, but was inexplicably allowed to fight anyways and only notified him on April 22, 2002, on the heels of contentious contract negotiations between Barnett and the UFC).Fact|date=May 2008 They also pointed to serious violations of basic protocol in the testing which made it impossible to verify or validate the NSAC's results.Fact|date=August 2008 Additionally on June 11, 2002, testing adhering to established protocols gave a negative result.Fact|date=August 2008 Barnett and Hume asserted the June test to be definitive in establishing a false positive and thus Barnett's innocence given that EQ can show up on a steroid test for up to 1.5 years after last use.Fact|date=August 2008

Heavyweight Championship Bout: UFC 36-Worlds Collide and Steroid Controversy

Barnett became the youngest UFC Heavyweight Champion in the organization's history after defeating Randy Couture by TKO (referee stoppage due to strikes) at 4:35 of the second round. Afterwards Barnett was stripped of the UFC Heavyweight title when he allegedly tested positive for steroids during a mandatory post-fight drug test by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Due to violations of testing protocol, it was impossible to validate or verify the results based on the original samples. Fact|date=August 2008 Barnett who had already taken a previous drug test four months before the fight disputed the results and demanded a third independent drug test due to the fact that the substance allegedly found in his system would have been detectable for at least 18 months.Fact|date=August 2008 Three months after the second drug test Barnett went through a third test, performed by an expert from the International Olympic Committee, with negative results. After several months without any outcome being decided Barnett left the UFC.Fact|date=August 2008

After this incident, Barnett would compete in both Pancrase and Pride over in Japan. While in Pancrase, he won their open weight Grand Prix title. Winning this title put him alongside the likes of Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, and Bas Rutten as one of the few fighters to be a titleholder in both Pancrase and the UFC.

Career in Japan and PRIDE

At this point, Josh Barnett began his career overseas as a professional wrestler in the New Japan Pro Wrestling organization . He also continued to compete in MMA fights. In his fight on October 31, 2004 with Croatian Mirko Filipović, he suffered a simultaneous fracture and dislocated shoulder injury that required surgery and over six months of rehab. His first fight back post-injury was a rematch against Filipović, which he lost by unanimous decision. He came back with a win against Kazuhiro Nakamura at PRIDE 31. He later beat Aleksander Emelianenko by a keylock in the first round of the PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix at PRIDE Total Elimination Absolute. He submitted Mark Hunt via kimura in the second round of the Open Weight Grand Prix at PRIDE Critical Countdown Absolute.

Josh Barnett defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by split decision in the semi finals of the Open Weight Grand Prix, and then lost the final match of the PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović on September 10, 2006; this was his third consecutive loss to Filipović.

Next, Barnett fought the Polish Judo gold medalist Pawel Nastula at PRIDE 32, the organization's first show in the USA. In order to fight again in Nevada, the Nevada State Athletic Commission required that Barnett pass a mandatory drug test, which he did. In a surprisingly competitive match which had Nastula in control of the first round and most of the second. Barnett reversed Nastula from the bottom and was able to secure the toe-hold submission which earned him the victory. At a post fight press conference Barnett complimented Nastula on his performance. Barnett's opponent, Nastula, tested positive for steroids. [http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2841]

Barnett lost a rematch by unanimous decision to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at PRIDE Shockwave 2006.

Barnett has also been a critic of the unified rules of MMA, such as the 10 point must system, and how gi's and wrestling shoes are not allowed. Barnett favors PRIDE's judging criteria and the yellow card system because it makes more exciting and action packed fights. Barnett believes gi's should be allowed because it allows the fighters to have their own sense of personalities.

World Victory Road: Sengoku

After the bout against Nogueira and the defunct of PRIDE, Barnett did not participate MMA events in 2007, except one Pancrase match against Hikaru Sato, which was held under catch wrestling rule on Dec. 22. However, in 2008 Barnett joined the newly organized MMA promotion, Sengoku, and fought in consecutive main events at Sengoku 1 and , defeating Hidehiko Yoshida by submission in the third round and Jeff Monson by unanimous decision, respectively.

Since the contract with World Victory Road is not exclusive, Barnett can join other MMA events. Barnett participated in the inaugural MMA event held by Affliction, an US-based clothing company, in July 2008. Seven years after his only knockout loss to Pedro Rizzo, he avenged the loss with a knockout of his own in the second round.

Barnett's next fight will be against former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in the main event at Affliction's next event on January 17, 2009 in Anaheim, California. [http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7069&zoneid=13]

Other Features

Barnett has also appeared in the XBOX360 game Beautiful Katamari as one of the people that can be rolled up. He appears as the rare person "Famous Wrestler" in his signature trunks and PRIDE FC gloves.

He currently teaches catch wrestling at Erik Paulson's CSW Training Center in Fullerton, California.

Mixed martial arts record

MMArecordbox
wins=26
losses=5
ko-wins=6
ko-losses=1
sub-wins=15
sub-losses=2
dec-wins=4
dec-losses=2

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed Martial Arts

* UFC Heavyweight Champion (March 22, 2002 - July 30, 2002)
* Pancrase Open-weight champion (since August 31, 2003)

ee also

*List of male mixed martial artists
*List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

References

*
* [http://erikpaulson.com/pages/classinfo.html Schedule for CSW Training Center]

External links

* [http://www.joshbarnett.tv/ Official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/capturedsuplex MySpace page]
* [http://joshbarnett.proelite.com/ Josh Barnett's ProElite.com Page]
*sherdog|id=272
* [http://www.puroresufan.com/roster/barnett.php Pro wrestler biography]