A former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder and almost universally recognized as one of the 10 greatest heavyweights of all-time, his repeated run-ins with authorities over his use of performance-enhancing drugs leaves him with a complicated legacy. Barnett signed a multi-fight agreement with Bellator MMA in 2019 and remains on the roster, but he has yet to compete for the Scott Coker-led promotion. He last fought under mixed martial arts rules on Sept. 16, 2013, when he submitted Andrei Arlovski with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 93 headliner.
As the MMA world awaits word on the 44-year-old Barnett’s next move, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. He was a phenom of sorts.
Barnett made his debut at the age of 19 on Jan. 11, 1997, when he submitted Chris Charnos with a first-round rear-naked choke at a United Full Contact Federation event. He went 3-0 as a teenager, as he defeated Bob Gilstrap and Chris Munsen in subsequent appearances. Barnett was a perfect 8-0 by the time he turned 21.
2. Only somebodies have beaten him.
The six fighters who have defeated Barnett—Daniel Cormier, Ben Rothwell, Travis Browne, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko Filipovic and Pedro Rizzo—have 171 victories between them. They boast a combined record of 171-56-4 (.740).
3. Submissions are his weapons of choice.
A protégé of Erik Paulson, Rigan Machado, and the late Billy Robinson, Barnett has delivered 19 of his 35 professional MMA victories by submission: five by armbar, four by rear-naked choke, three by arm-triangle choke, three by kimura, one by heel hook, one by toe hold, one by keylock and one by triangle armbar.
4. He has plied his trade all over the MMA landscape.
Barnett has fought for 13 different promotions during his 43-fight career, including the UFC, Strikeforce, Pride Fighting Championships, Dream, Affliction, Pancrase, K-1 and Sengoku.
5. Consistency has been a strength.
“The Warmaster” has enjoyed four separate winning streaks of at least four fights. He rattled off 10 straight victories between Jan. 11, 1997 and Nov. 17, 2000, eight in a row between June 29, 2001 and May 22, 2004, four in a row between Feb. 26, 2006 and Sept. 10, 2006 and eight in a row between March 5, 2008 and Sept. 10, 2011.