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Josh Barnett Agrees to Defend King of Pancrase Title Next Year

Josh Barnett Agrees to Defend King of Pancrase Title Next Year

Quote:

Top 10 heavyweight Josh Barnett will return to Pancrase next year to defend his openweight King of Pancrase title. The Warmaster, according to yahoo.co.jp, had a meeting with Pancrase CEO Masakazu Sakai after Barnett’s recent professional wrestling match with Shinichi Suzukawa at Inoki Genome Federation.

The meeting seems to have been fruitful. Barnett has agreed to defend his KOP title next year during the Pancrase 20th Anniversary Tour, against any opponent Sakai wants to put in front him. Barnett stated that he is a part of the Pancrase family and wants the legendary organization and its fighters to reach new heights of popularity.

Barnett won the openweight title way back in 2003 from Yuki Kondo. He defended it twice the same year, against Kazuo Takahashi and Semmy Schilt, before going on to represent the promotion in Pride and around the world, but a whopping 10 years have now passed since Barnett last defended the original King of Pancrase title

Josh Barnett Agrees to Defend King of Pancrase Title Next Year | MMAWeekly.com

So what....

THREE TIMES JOSH, THREE TIMES

Probably means we won't see him in the UFC, but hey Pancrase. That's cool.

Ya, this kinda blows. I'd much rather see him in the UFC

in before ro0mers start

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevoOnTheRadio (Post 978657)

Probably means we won't see him in the UFC, but hey Pancrase. That's cool.

I heard Fedor is going to fight him for it.

rh

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivethead (Post 978733)

I heard Fedor is going to fight him for it.

rh

Don't even play...

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivethead (Post 978733)

I heard Fedor is going to fight him for it.

rh

If this is true, I would like to retract my "this blows"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fe1 (Post 978739)

If this is true, I would like to retract my "this blows"

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc...rczio1_400.gif

I've got a high school title I haven't defended in 31 years maybe I'll go back and do it.
Thats what I got out of it.

Barnett would've been in a mighty catbird position with ZUFFA had he have defeated Cormier(eight straight), but now I think ZUFFA probably doesn't want to pay him what he's asking and probably don't want to deal with all of the headaches he brings, regardless of Josh's talent. Barnett would've come into the UFC with far and away the hottest run at HW outside of the UFC(even if some of his wins on his streak were stellar), but right now I think he's got too much pride to take a UFC offer if it isn't top tier money and I don't think he's too highly valued within ZUFFA due to his baggage.

I think Barnett is a great HW, I think he's better than 90% plus UFC HWs(sans JDS, Cain, Werdum, Cormier IMO), but I really don't see him ever fighting in the UFC again.