UFC Heavyweight contender Josh Barnett has his first official Octagon assignment since suffering a quick one-minute knockout loss to Travis Browne at UFC 168 back in December of 2013.
Barnett, a former UFC Heavyweight Champion who is currently ranked fifth in the division, will return on September 26, 2015 in Saitama, Japan.
Barnett, now known as “The Warmaster,” will be taking on Ultimate Fighter season ten champion and the currently number 11 ranked UFC Heavyweight contender “Big Country” Roy Nelson at UFC Fight Night: Barnett vs. Nelson.
Prior to the Barnett-Nelson bout, the two Heavyweight contenders will serve as coaches for a new UFC reality show called “Road to the UFC: Japan,” which will feature eight Japanese contenders competing for the opportunity to win a contract with the UFC.
Similar to The Ultimate Fighter reality show concept, “Road to the UFC: Japan” will feature eight competitors training under Barnett and Nelson at the “TUF Gym” in Las Vegas, Nevada, and competing in elimination bouts on a weekly basis.
The finalists of the eight-man tournament will then meet at the UFC Fight Night: Barnett vs. Nelson event in September.
“Road to the UFC: Japan” premieres on television in Japan in July, and will run through September.
UFC Fight Night: Barnett vs. Nelson is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
