Have fight promotion? Will travel.
Just a few months after the UFC brought "Nogueira vs. Velasquez" to the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, the Impact Fighting Championship (IFC) promotion will try to strike while the iron is hot by bringing its own stable of cage combatants "Down Under" on July 10 in Brisbane.
And it looks like popular but controversial fighter Josh Barnett will be joining them, as the former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight has announced his upcoming bout with Brazilian butt-kicker Geronimo dos Santos.
Barnett was last seen neutering Siala "Mighty Mo" Siliga at DREAM 13 on March 22 in Yokohama. After his recent drug scandal in California, "The Babayface Assassin" won tournament gold in the ultra heavyweight division among the blackbelts at the World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2009 in Long Beach, CA.
His quest to regain a license to fight in California has become a prolonged ordeal, due mostly in part to the multiple delays of his appeal with the California State Athletic Commission.
That hasn't stopped him from competing, but his level of opposition doesn't seem to be improving.
Dos Santos has competed mostly in his native Brazil, amassing a 17-8 record with 16 finishes. His most recognizable win came against Assuerio Silva last October, where he stopped his fellow Brazilian via TKO a minute into the first round.
"Morango" is a big, strong heavyweight with a nice balance of striking and submissions. But will it be enough to topple Barnett, who's competed at the higher levels of this sport for several years?
We'll know soon enough.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates on the upcoming IFC fight card.
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