“The Warmaster” is reportedly no longer part of the UFC roster.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett was one of the last remaining fighters from the old-school. But on Wednesday, it was reported that “The Warmaster” has been released from the UFC, after a second stint with the company that lasted for five years.
An anonymous UFC official and another individual close to the situation reached out to MMAjunkie, who first reported the news. The news of the release has yet to be made public and the reason that has led to this decision has not been specified.
The 40-year-old Barnett was given clearance during his recent arbitration with USADA for his failed drug test in December 2016 when he tested positive for Ostarine, a banned substance. Originally set to be slapped with a four-year ban, he was merely given a slap in the wrist through a reprimand.
In a January interview, Barnett stated his intentions to carry on with his career.
“I’m not finished with it. I still have a lot within MMA that I want to do. There’s still a desire in me to go out and fight. I know that it is going to be a much smaller window for me in that there’s so many other things in my life. At the moment, I know the desire is there to compete, but the desire to structure my life around training camps and all that at the moment just isn’t there.”
Barnett (35-8, with 29 wins by stoppage) last saw action in September 2016 in Hamburg, Germany, where he faced fellow former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. He won the fight via third-round submission, along with both Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night honors.