Authority Figure -Chromium -Authority Figure -orcus -
No reason not to bring in Barnett unless his demands are out of line. He is a finisher, he talks a good game, he's smart and personable, and he's an excellent fighter.
Should we consider that Josh could and probably will test positive again for steroids?
Given the number of times he's been caught, is it worriesome that he's never really apologized publicly? Could he sully the image of the UFC and it's FOX deal?
Out of Josh's last 5 fights? How many were against Top 10 fighters? I'm actually asking. i don't know.
What are the advantages of adding a guy who knows how to sell fights, has only moderate name recognition among casual fans and may or may get caught using steroids again? Again, I'm asking (for polite input).
1) He's going to be targeted relentlessly for OOC testing by state athletic commissions so I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt that if he's going to get caught at all, it'll be before he makes it very far into this stint at which point it wouldn't hurt to cut him entirely. For now he's failed twice, seven years apart. So, I'd give him a chance. HW is really thin, Barnett is marketable, and if they don't take him someone else will (like almost certainly Bellator, the UFC's one significant competitor).
2) Actually are you sure that he's never publicly apologized? And considering that Fox airs the NFL and MLB where steroids are a major problem, I don't think it's a major issue for them. As for an apology at this point it's probably best that he doesn't say anything about it at all unless asked.
3) Google.com. Or if you really need help, try http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Josh-Barnett-272 . But the answer is 1 against a top 10 opponent (Cormier whom he lost to), and 2 against fighters who were ranked in the top 20 at the time (both of which he won). He's right at the low end of the truly elite. For comparison the guy ranked just below him by Fight Matrix's computerized rankings, Stefan Struve, has zero fights against top 10 fighters in his last 5 fights, and two against fighters who were Top 20 at the time (he went 1-1).
4) He's highly credible as a fighter, he knows how to sell fights, and can be easily marketed in a thin-yet-crucial division. That's more than enough.
I think my only two issues are that I'm not sure if he's through with steroids. And you, like I, suspect that most of his most recent wins are not against Top 10 fighters. But he does know how to sell fights. He does that well. I think he's even weird enough that people that wouldn't normally be interested in his fights would watch because of his zany pre-fight interviews.
I guess we'll see. I certainly don't think he's worth big money, until he's had at least one big finish.
I don't really think 60k + 60k is "big money" compared to what a lot of top guys get in the heavier divisions. What I'd propose is a 60k + 60k to start, going up 5k for every win, and $0.20 per PPV buy for every PPV buy after the first 400,000 (this is peanuts compared to most PPV deals), or an automatic $10k discretionary bonus for when he's on a free card. I certainly think he's worth that. I'd probably be willing to pay more than that honestly. I'm not hugely worried about steroids because he rather seems like he's either off the juice now or at least much smarter about it.
Assuming he subs his can in 11 days and doesn't look like shit doing it, there are quite a few dudes you can match him up with in the UFC right now. Among HWs who aren't booked, Mir, Nelson, Miocic, and Travis Browne all stand out as being good potential opponents. Nelson and Mir in particular seem like match-ups that could move the needle a bit and be a quality co-main event.
