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Josh Barnett expected to fight for Sengoku on 11/7 in Tokyo
By Zach Arnold | September 2, 2009
Original article date – August 1, 2009
Today was the heat-up press conference for the 8/2 Saitama Super Arena show and the main topic in the media ended up being… Josh Barnett and his failed drug test in California. Barnett is expected to fight for Sengoku on 11/7 in Tokyo at Ryogoku Kokugikan, the same show that Satoshi Ishii is expected to make his MMA debut on.
At the press conference, Takahiro Kokuho (the main boss of Sengoku) said that he was skeptical about what happened with Barnett’s test result in California given the problems J-ROCK had in California with Kazuhiro Nakamura testing positive for marijuana and what he deemed a lack of transprency with the way drug testing is handled in California. Kokuho said that he wants Sengoku to be the ‘standard bearer’ for anti-doping practices in Japanese MMA with the help of the JADA (Japan Anti-Doping Agency) and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency).
As for how the media is portraying Barnett, the answer is they are continuing to play it straight. This time, they mentioned his failed drug test(s) in Nevada and then the failed test in California. This is going to become a bigger issue for Barnett and he needs legitimate help in terms of finding a manager or agent who is based in Japan who knows how to handle PR. Using the same old PR methods to handle the issue of failed drug tests will likely prove to be a mistake here. History has shown that Josh rarely changes tactics on this front…
Sherdog will have more coverage of today’s press conference on their web site.
Update (9/2): Antonio Silva all but confirms a fight being set up against Josh Barnett for the Ryogoku event. No surprise.
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, Sengoku, Zach Arnold | 40 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
I guess nobody told him they changed labs in California, and no longer use the same one Kaz’s positive THC test came from.
Are you lobbying for the gig Zach?
Have to love the head of Sengoku trying to give the benefit of the doubt to an athlete who got busted for steroids for the THIRD time.
And I’m sure he will be tested in Japan as well…. What a joke.
Fuck Josh Barnett. I’ll never give a shit about his career or seeing his fights again. Because of him, Affliction 3 got canceled. Im glad he’s going back to Japan where he can do as much roids as he wants..
I think he needs someone skilled in “perception management” and “reputation repair”.
Kind of a side topic, but worthy of pointing out…. Stuff like this is why World Rankings make no sense. The UFC goes to sanctioned locations in the US which except for maybe one or two states, drug tests. Despite not technically being suspended, he would never be able to fight in CA or NV.
Having a 3 time offender who will now likely be on steroids again (it is very safe to assume)…. Has no business being ranked in the same list as guys who are being drug tested for their fights.
Which basically backs up my long time point that…. There are UFC Rankings, and then there are everything else rankings. Doing it any other way makes no sense.
Josh Barnett being able to fight without drug testing so soon after his 3rd bust…. Is proof of this.
Barnett won’t be eligible in the next go-round of voting for the Independent MMA rankings. He won’t be eligible for up to a full year.
Considering that I’m not in Japan right now, what an idiotic attempt at a childish insult that was.
You’ve had a bad week – don’t keep digging a bigger hole for yourself.
Yeah we had a real bad week.
Josh should be on A&E’s Intervention show
You tricked me into giving you a page view Kid Nate. I thought that I was going to be rickrolled.
Bastard.
[…] Josh Barnett is reportedly under consideration for a return to mixed martial arts action later this year at Sengoku 11 which takes place from the Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Japan on November 7, as reported by Fight Opinion. […]
“Kokuho said that he wants Sengoku to be the ’standard bearer’ for anti-doping practices in Japanese MMA with the help of the JADA (Japan Anti-Doping Agency) and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency).”
Hmm, they could start by actually doing steroid testing.
I find this funny: “Takahiro Kokuho (the main boss of Sengoku) said that he was skeptical about what happened with Barnett’s test result in California”
Does this means he’s sceptical about Wada labs conducting the tests? The same Wada he wants to help him conduct their own doping tests?
Sengoku talks a good game about wanting to clean up the Japanese MMA scene, but their credibility is nil after employing steroid cheats like Barnett & Antonio Silva while they are still under suspension for pissing hot in the States. They talk about wanting to bring their testing up to WADA standards and then completely ignore the results when a guy gets busted by a WADA certified lab.
Sengoku needs to drop the act and just admit that they don’t give a shit about steroid testing.
You have ignored this user.
I th ink saying anything only adds fuel to the ‘proverbial’ fire… gotta use that lame word.
I think he is keeping quiet.
A week or two back, I think I said i would have liked to see DREAM fold into Sengoku. I think I take my comments back. Neither are really good for MMA at this time.
“A week or two back, I think I said i would have liked to see DREAM fold into Sengoku. I think I take my comments back. Neither are really good for MMA at this time.”
Then who else? Unless Shooto, Pancrase, and DEEP join together and create a super group, DREAM and Sengoku (along with K-1) are it.
Why is everyone on Sengoku’s ass about having Josh Barnett and Antonio Silva? How many dopers has Zuffa employed? Need I name names? I’m not defending Sengoku or bashing Zuffa, I just like pointing out hypocrisies.
So Sengoku are interested in making a match between 2 fighters who failed a drug test? Is this really such a big deal? UFC have had fighters that failed tests and then once the supension has been done they have used them again.
They haven’t had them while they were suspended. Big difference.
What Pontus said.
There is a huge difference between employing a doper who has done the time for his crime and employing a doper who fled the country in order to escape his punishment.
If you test positive in the UFC, you lose 6-12 months of your career and are stripped of your belt if you are a champion. Apparently, in Sengoku you get a sweet booking and a welcome back less than a week after flunking your whiz quiz.
Pontus is correct.
I will take it a step further. He has been busted 3 times now. Three strikes your out rule…. He shouldn’t be able to compete anymore. Sounds harsh, but it’s true. He should be banned from ever fighting another MMA fight. Bottom line.
Sengoku is the more sporting of the two major Japanese promotions sure but Sengoku hasn’t always made sporting decisions so this should not surprise you. Giving Gomi a title shot after a loss took away a part of Sengoku’s credibility. Then the Antonio Silva thing. And now Josh Barnett (though technically he is NOT suspended, he could reapply for a license in America and if he passes, he could fight again).
If you want a good example of a sporting Japanese organization, there is Shooto. It’s all about the sport for Shooto with none of the spectacle.
In fact I’d go as far as to say that Shooto sanctioning body business model is what I’d like to see the UFC emulate. I’d be OK with a UFC monopoly if they removed themselves from the promoter role and became a sanctioning body. It would be good for the sport to separate the ones giving out the championships and rankings from the ones who pay the fighters just like in a legitimate sports organization like NASCAR.
The Shooto business model works better in theory, but horrible in execution. Trust me, I would love to see a perfect world were there are set rankings and fighters must work their way up them logically in order to warrant a title shot.
However, that just doesn’t work. Whether it be on PPV, Premium Cable, Cable, or Network TV…. Strong Main Events are what brings in the viewers. The UFC has done a very good job at putting their titles as the main focus of the cards. The title fights automatically become main events. However, some manipulation is needed in order to make things viable.
For example, Franklin/Belfort makes no sense from a ranking standpoint. If Franklin is going to fight at 205, he needs to fight a 205er. Same with Belfort at 185. However, a main event is needed that month, and this is what we get. It should still be a great fight to watch, but it wouldn’t fit into Shooto’s model.
Like I said, in a perfect world, that would be best for the sport and I would love to see it. It just isn’t practical.
[…] Barnett is thinking about fighting for Sengoku in November? Is he nuts? If he takes that fight overseas while under steriod suspension no State Athletic […]
Perez Hilton also draws hits. Your point?
“Does this means he’s sceptical about Wada labs conducting the tests? The same Wada he wants to help him conduct their own doping tests?”
I would be sceptical about an outfit that has you piss at their offices before it is sent to a lab somewhere else.
Why not send fighters to a WADA lab and have one of THEIR impartial third party officials watch Josh piss?
Hang on a sec gang. This is just now hitting the news.
Barnett is a sack of crap, but let’s make sure this is official then go off.
Barnett needs to be banned for life. He betrayed the sport, his friend and cost a lot of fighters a lot of money.
[…] Josh Barnett is reportedly under consideration for a return to mixed martial arts action later this year at Sengoku 11 which takes place from the Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Japan on November 7, as reported by Fight Opinion. […]
Barnett is radioactive.
He will not fight in the US again.
Three times is the charm. I am really disapointed WVR would bring him in. He has never been that exciting to watch, in spite of a good record.
[…] Zach Arnold talks about how Barnett could fight in Japan in November, and how the media there could be a problem for him in regards to his third positive drug test: At the press conference, Takahiro Kokuho (the main boss of Sengoku) said that he was skeptical about what happened with Barnett’s test result in California given the problems J-ROCK had in Californiawith Kazuhiro Nakamura testing positive for marijuanaand what he deemed a lack of transprency with the way drug testing is handled in California. Kokuho said that he wants Sengoku to be the ’standard bearer’ for anti-doping practices in Japanese MMA with the help of the JADA (Japan Anti-Doping Agency) and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency). […]
Its always funny to some asshole who runs some bullshit website bring up their webtraffic at the drop of a hat.
Look up ‘sensationalism’ and then think long and hard about why everyone thinks you’re a joke.
^
I dont know what your pissed off about, is it just me?
I hope Antonio Silva beats Josh Barnett and then comes back to the states to compete where the vast majority of talent is….
Well one thing’s for sure: the loser of this fight really has their stock drop, as not only will they have popped a roid test, but they won’t be considered top tier heavyweights.
Sengoku should be ashamed of itself for booking Josh Barnett under the circumstances.
Heh, my anti-spam word was “juiced.” I’d love to know just what sort of piss test they’re gonna give Josh and the others.
Isn’t Antonio Silva banned indefinitely from the US atheltic commissions (for going off to fight in Japan while suspended?) Or are they actually letting him off the hook for fighting in Japan while suspended?
Dave2— Silva is no longer going to be punished for having fought in Japan while under a CSAC suspension. All he has to do now is pay his CSAC fine (which he still hasn’t paid), and then he’ll be eligible to be licensed in California just like any other competitor (after passing the necessary medical and drug tests).
More information: When I asked the CSAC’s Bill Douglas about Antonio Silva’s status a while back, here is what he said.
Regarding Silva’s legal challenge of the CSAC’s 12-month suspension of his license, Douglas said, “The Los Angeles Superior Court upheld CSAC’s ruling on the suspension.”
However, regarding the CSAC’s previous stance that Silva’s license would not just be suspended, but actually revoked, Douglas said, “Because of legal proceedings, the revocation matter was dropped and CSAC chose not to pursue it.”