D.P.

Nickname The Babyfaced Assassin
Height 6 ft 3 in
Weight 250 lb
Nationality American
Born November 10, 1977
Team/Association AMC Pankration/Combat Submission NJPW
Primary fighting style Catch wrestling

Wins 24
By knockout 5
By submission 15
Losses 5
Draws 0

Biography

Joshua L. 'Josh' Barnett is an American heavyweight mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and a professional wrestler. He has an MMA record of 24-5-0 as of January 2009, and is currently ranked by MMAWeekly.com and MMANews.com as the No. 2 Heavyweight fighter in the world.


UFC

A graduate of Ballard High School in Seattle, Washington, Barnett became the youngest (UFC) Heavyweight Champion and the youngest UFC champion in history after defeating Randy Couture in early 2002. Later that year, the title was stripped from Barnett after he tested positive for an anabolic steroid. His fighting license was temporarily suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission after a hearing on July 26, 2002, where he denied ever having used steroids.

Pancrase and Pride

After losing his UFC title, Josh Barnett began his overseas career as a professional wrestler in the New Japan Pro Wrestling organization, but he also competed in MMA fights in both Pride and Pancrase in Japan. While in Pancrase, he won its open-weight Grand Prix title by defeating Yuki Kondo. 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.

In his first fight in Pride, at Pride 28 against Croatian Mirko "Crocop" 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 at Pride 30, which he lost by unanimous decision. He came back with a win against Kazuhiro Nakamura at Pride 31.

Barnett later beat Aleksander Emelianenko by a keylock submission 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. 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 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. To fight again in Nevada, the Nevada State Athletic Commission required that Barnett pass a mandatory drug test. In a surprisingly competitive match, Nastula controlled the first round and most of the second. Barnett reversed Nastula from the bottom and was able to secure a toe-hold submission, which earned him the victory. At a post fight press conference, Barnett complimented Nastula on his performance. Nastula, however, subsequently tested positive for steroids. Barnett then lost a rematch by unanimous decision to Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira at Pride Shockwave 2006.

World Victory Road: Sengoku

After the bout against Nogueira and the acquisition of Pride by the UFC, Barnett did not participate MMA events in 2007, except one Pancrase match against Hikaru Sato, which was held under catch wrestling rules on Dec. 22. Barnett did not follow many other Pride veterans to the UFC because he desired to join an organization that also included the top heavyweight fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko. In 2008, Barnett joined the newly organized MMA promotion, Sengoku, and fought in consecutive main events at Sengoku 1 and Sengoku 2, defeating Hidehiko Yoshida by submission in the third round and Jeff Monson by unanimous decision, respectively.

Affliction Entertainment

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

In January 2009, Barnett fought Pride veteran Gilbert Yvel at Affliction: Day of Reckoning. Barnett defeated Yvel by a submission resulting from strikes in the third round. His next match-up is likely to be a title shot against Fedor Emelianenko for the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) Heavyweight Championship, probably at the next Affliction event.