Longtime heavyweight (and super heavyweight) veteran Chris Barnett is finally in the UFC.
As first reported by Fight Bananas, Barnett will take on Ben Rothwell in a short-notice scrap on May 22. Barnett replaces Philipe Lins, who Rothwell was supposed to face earlier this month, but withdrew due to illness. The bout was rebooked for the new date, but Lins was again forced out.
Barnett, one of the sport’s characters, has been competing since 2009, posting a 21-6 record as a professional. The 34-year old has competed around the globe, including stops in Japan, South Korea, and the UAE.
Most recently, Barnett scored a first-round knockout of Ahmed Tijani Shehu at UAE Warriors 13 back in September. Barnett also holds a win over current UFC heavyweight Walt “The Big Ticket” Harris from earlier in his career.
Rothwell (38-13) is coming off a loss to Marcin Tybura last October, which snapped his two-fight win streak.
The UFC’s May 22 card is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event airs live on ESPN+, with the following fights attached:
Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt
Yan Xiaonan vs. Carla Esparza
Justin Tafa vs. Jared Vanderaa
Felicia Spencer vs. Norma Dumont
David Dvorak vs. Raulian Paiva
Jack Hermansson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
Ricardo Ramos vs. Bill Algeo
Ben Rothwell vs. Chris Barnett
Court McGee vs. Cláudio Silva
Bruno Gustavo da Silva vs. Victor Rodriguez
Josh Culibao vs. Sha Yilan
Damir Hadžović vs. Yancy Medeiros
Rafael Alves vs. Damir Ismagulov
Stephanie Egger vs. Sarah Alpar
