Josh Barnett
About Josh Barnett
A decorated combat sports crossover who earned the nickname “The Warmaster,” Barnett made history in 2002 as the youngest UFC Heavyweight Champion ever, defeating Randy Couture at UFC 36. A year later he debuted as a professional wrestler in NJPW in style, challenging IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata at the Tokyo Dome. Barnett went on to wrestle over 50 matches for NJPW, and also worked for Antonio Inoki’s IGF and later served as color commentator for NJPW’s AXS TV broadcast beginning in January 2015. Known for his proficiency in Muay Thai, catch wrestling, and grappling, he’s a rare legitimate fight-world commodity who brought serious credibility to every promotion he touched.
He has been working for Game Changer Wrestling, where his Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport series has become a cult favorite. Most recently, Barnett faced NJPW legend Yuji Nagata at GCW BloodSport XV, and on June 20, 2026, he returned to NJPW for Yuji Nagata’s self-produced Blue Justice XVIII, teaming with Nagata and Aaron Wolf to score a win over House of Torture’s Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru in the main event.