Barnett Refuses UFC contract

From two weeks ago but I just saw it on the Fight Network.
FightDay Feb 6, 2013

Barnett Refuses UFC Contract

Looks like that profile on UFC.com was a bluff after all as Josh Barnett's management team has officially declined an offer for the heavyweight veteran to fight for the UFC.

Leland Labarre, Barnett's manager, has cited "outlying issues" as the primary reason for the disapproval of the offer. Labarre explained to MMAfighting.com about how even though the general outlines of the contract were mostly satisfactory, there were still a few rules to the deal that the team found rather unsettling.

"We agreed on guaranteed compensation. In fact, we never even countered. We accepted their original offer. However, there are some outlying issues -- one in particular -- that as of this point we were unable to agree on. We want to find the best deal for Josh and his final MMA home."

The decline is definitely a surprise, considering the eager optimism Dana White has repeatedly expressed towards signing the PRIDE, UFC and Strikeforce standout.

Who knows what's next for "The Baby-Faced Assassin." Will he seek to dominate yet another MMA promotion by joining Bellator or maybe go back to professional wrestling in Japan?

We are hoping to hear about what the specific problem with Barnett's contract was so we can finally understand what really prevented the UFC from acquiring one of the most legendary heavyweights in MMA history.

My thoughts are perhaps the drug testing might be getting too intense for our Pharmaceutical Baby Faced Assassin.

Japanese Pro Wrestling has far less stringent PED standards than the UFC.

what a fucking ass clown.

Bad move on josh's part. Where else would you want to make your final MMA home then the UFC? I think he goes back to pro wrestling personaly. more glits and glam for the baby face plus he is pretty much an icon in japan pro wrestling so he would get the $$$ there. If he goes to another MMA promotion he will be at best be a fedor style talk. yeah he is great in all these promotions but is he UFC great?

There is no where else in MMA for him to be IMO. If you are at the top of the heap and you have been there for some time now... you should be fighting UFC caliber opponents.

I'm with Krieger on the drug testing thing

thought the same about the testing policy.....hes a moron and im ok with him not joining the ufc