Josh Barnett Update

PDG:  What is on the horizon for Josh? Any upcoming news about where you will sign and do you have any scheduled fights or matches coming up?
Josh:  Not any new news on where I will be signing.  I'm still in talks with several different promotions but nothing has been signed and there are no plans for a fight yet.  I am hoping though to have at least one fight before the end of the year.  Beyond that I am going to continue to work in Japan with IGF.  They might be having another show in December and I would like to go back there and get in the ring.  Even if I sign with someone else I will still be fighting with IGF in Japan.  

PDG:  Let's talk Randy Couture and Dana White.  What are your thoughts on Randy and Dana's comment that he is "unbeatable"?
Josh:  I am very impressed with his performance.  Randy has done real well for himself and as a fan it is great to see him get back in the cage and show that he is still a very highly skilled athlete.  For him to go out and beat on the younger bucks like Gabriel Gonzaga...  Although Gonzaga has only fought two top guys and he is 1-1 against them.  He had lost to Fabricio Werdum and then he beat Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.  I didn't really expect much out of him (Gonzaga) but I think he has some time to grow.  It was good though to see Randy look so sharp in the ring.  My only complaint was when Dana White made the comment that nobody in the world could beat Randy.  That is just bs because anybody can lose and I know that first hand Randy can lose.

PDG:  The tone of your voice sounds like you and Dana are good friends again.
Josh:  You know that is just business and you can't just make blanket statements.  I am not one who will sit back and let people say whatever the hell they want to and let it get passed off as truth.  If you let people say stuff enough times without challenging the validity of the story eventually people will accept that as truth.  I am not going to let anyone go out there and say something fictitious and let it sink in and become truth in the public's view.

PDG:  If it was possible, would like to step in the cage with Randy before he retires again?
Josh:  Of course but it is never going to happen.  I would love too.  I have a lot of respect for him and he is the champion.  It would be a big fight and I am all about giving the fans the fights they will appreciate.  

It was a bum deal that Dana cut him after that scenario. I think that honestly Dana was just using it as an excuse to get rid of Babalu so he didn’t have to pay him. If he was a cheaper fighter it may not have been such a big deal. He was making $25k to fight and $25k for a victory. In Dana’s eyes he was probably thinking shit I don’t want to pay that anymore. So here is my opportunity to get rid of him.