Josh Barnett – photo by Esther Lin for Strikeforce
The return of ‘The Warmaster’ Josh Barnett (32-6) to the Octagon has hit a bump in the road as the former UFC heavyweight champ has reportedly turned down the promotions latest contract offer.
According to MMAFighting.com, there are a few “outlying issues” that is preventing Barnett from signing with the UFC. This according to Barnett’s manager Leland LaBarre.
“We agreed on guaranteed compensation. In fact, we never even countered. We accepted their original offer. However, there are some outlying issues — one in particular — that as of this point we were unable to agree on. We want to find the best deal for Josh and his final MMA home.”
Barnett has been in negotiations over the past month with the UFC after the other Zuffa owned promotion closed up shop following the final Strikeforce event on January 12, 2013.
‘The Warmaster’ fought on the Oklahoma card, earning a quick first round submission win over opponent Nandor Guelmino. Barnett is 9-1 over his last ten matches and has not been seen inside the Octagon since March 2002 at UFC 36 when he beat Randy Couture to win the UFC heavyweight title. Barnett was stripped of the title following a positive drug test after the win and was subsequently kicked out of the UFC.