Josh Barnett is apologetic after his last-minute Bellator 235 withdrawal.
Barnett was expected to make his Bellator debut against Ronny Markes. The bout was set to headline one of the final three Bellator events of 2019. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until backstage interviewer Jenn Brown was seen by Barnett’s locker room to deliver some breaking news during the broadcast. It was revealed that Barnett wasn’t medically cleared to compete due to an illness.
Josh Barnett Apologetic In Video Statement
The official Twitter account of Bellator released footage of Barnett addressing his removal from the bout with Markes.
“Today was a travesty. You won’t find anybody more disappointed than me. Being unable to get out there and fight. To be a part of that main event for the troops tonight and to provide some much-needed entertainment. To showcase Bellator and its more than capable, its world-class talent. And to give Ronny Markes an opportunity to be there in the main event.
“I’ve done everything that I could today to try to be of sound mind and body to get in the ring. I woke up in the middle of the night with chills and fevers and aches, pains. Kidneys feel like someone’s been hitting them for 12 rounds. And I went, got two litters of fluids put in me and I’ve taken every allowable medication to try and get me up to snuff to be able to get to the cage. And I’ve never been known for one to back out of fights or to not show up. So not only is this embarrassing for me but it’s like some sort of a weird nightmare. And I really regret being unable to be in the cage tonight.”
