Josh Barnett, the popular and controversial UFC heavyweight, has taken another job in Hollywood, which will supersede his job as a fighter for the immediate future.
The news came out Tuesday night on the cable TV program UFC Tonight (h/t Dave Meltzer of MMAFighting.com).
Josh Barnett is filming a movie this summer and won’t fight until much later this year.
— UFC Tonight (@UFCTonight) April 29, 2015
There was no word on the film project or Barnett’s role in said project, though it is said to involve actor Michael Jai White. However, Barnett is not a newcomer to show business, having previously appeared in Absolution, Steven Seagal’s straight-to-DVD gem released earlier this year.
There was, however, word on how long the project will keep Barnett out of the cage. He is apparently aiming for a UFC return at the end of this year, though a specific target does not seem to exist at the moment.
Barnett (33-7) last competed in MMA back in December 2013, losing by first-round knockout to Travis Browne at UFC 168. In the intervening time, his athletic focus has mainly fallen on the grappling side. Last fall, he became heavyweight champion of the Metamoris grappling promotion by submitting Dean Lister. He’s scheduled to face Roberto Abreu at Metamoris 6 on May 9.
The 37-year-old heavyweight has failed several drug tests as an apparent result of steroid use. Those failures have arguably stunted a potentially greater career, which spans back to the early days when MMA still shared athletic boundaries with professional wrestling and includes wins over the likes of Randy Couture, Dan Severn and Mark Hunt.
In 2002, Barnett was stripped of the UFC heavyweight title and banned from the UFC after a positive drug test. He fought for various promotions all over the world for years, finally returning to the UFC in 2013. He defeated Frank Mir by TKO before losing to Browne.
If or when he does fight again for the UFC, Barnett has been linked to a bout with another fan favorite, Roy Nelson.
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