Who says you can’t come home again? According to MMAJunkie, former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett (pictured) has signed a multi-fight deal to return to the planet’s premier mixed martial arts promotion.
Barnett owns an extensive 32-6 professional record. The 35-year-old hasn’t been seen since beating Nandor Guelmino in January.
“The Warmaster’s” return to the UFC has been a drawn out process, to say the least.
Zuffa, LLC simply couldn’t transition Barnett over to the UFC after Strikeforce closed its doors. Unlike most of his former Strikeforce counterparts, Barnett became a free agent immediately after steamrolling Guelmino.
UFC president Dana White and Barnett have had a rocky relationship (to put it mildly). Their beef dates back to March 2002 when Barnett beat Randy Couture to win the UFC heavyweight title.
Barnett was subsequently stripped of his hardware after testing positive for a banned substance. On a side note, he flunked another drug exam prior to his Affliction fight against Fedor Emelianenko, which ultimately forced the upstart promotion to call it quits.
White has always claimed he’d be willing to work with Barnett again, despite calling him a “cheater” not too many moons ago.
No word on when Barnett will make his return to the Octagon.
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