MMA
On this date in MMA history (March 22): Josh Barnett wins UFC heavyweight title; Matt Hughes begins his welterweight dominance
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Josh Barnett is widely regarded as a fighter who never lived up to his true potential, while Matt Hughes is recognized as one of the greatest welterweights of all-time. Back in 2002, Barnett looked to be on the verge of becoming a superstar when he took on Randy Couture for the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 36. At the same event, Hughes made his first defense of the welterweight title he won against Carlos Newton when he faced Hayato Sakurai. Here, DAZN News looks back on the anniversary of Barnett's controversial title victory and Hughes' spectacular win to establish his dominance in the welterweight division.
How Josh Barnett vs. Randy Couture and Matt Hughes vs. Hayato Sakurai came together
Barnett was 3-1 (13-1 MMA) in the UFC with all of his victories coming by way of stoppage. He was viewed as a talent with immense potential, and one who could be the dominant force in a division that had been extremely thin. Getting a crack at Couture at UFC 36 came under controversy when he failed a drug test after his second-round submission victory against Bobby Hoffman at UFC 34. Instead of being handed a suspension, Barnett only received a warning from the Nevada State Athletic Commission and was booked to face Couture. Meanwhile, Couture looked to make the third defense of the heavyweight title he won a little over a year prior when he finished Kevin Randleman at UFC 28.
Originally, Hughes had been pegged to take on then-Shooto welterweight titleholder and future UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva for his first title defense. Silva would instead sign a contract with PRIDE and be replaced by Sakurai, who was making his UFC debut after going 19-1-2 in Shooto and various promotions in Europe and Japan.
March 22, 2002: Barnett vs. Couture, Hughes vs. Sakurai recap
Couture started fast, took Barnett down and battered him on the ground for the entire opening frame. He duplicated the same feat in the second round and appeared to be on his way to another successful title defense. However, Barnett demonstrated his resilience and skills as a mixed martial artist by taking advantage of an opening late in the round. In an exceptional sequence, Barnett swept Couture, reversed position to take his opponent's back and began raining down punishment. For over a minute, Barnett landed a barrage of elbows and punches from half guard until referee John McCarthy had seen enough and a new champion was crowned.
Hughes showcased exactly why he was the future of the division as he put his vaunted wrestling on display against an overmatched Sakurai. For four rounds, Hughes would repeatedly slam Sakurai to the canvas and punish him with ground and pound. To Sakurai's testament, he took a licking and kept on ticking but was unable to keep his back off the canvas. The punishment was insurmountable, and the fourth round would be the end of the Japanese star and the beginning of the Hughes era.
The Aftermath
The win over Couture should have propelled Barnett into greatness. However, the new champion couldn't get out of his own way. Barnett would again test positive for a banned substance, was stripped of the title and released by the UFC. Barnett missed his opportunity but continued fighting in several promotions before returning to the UFC 11 years later when he defeated Frank Mir at UFC 164. Unfortunately, he would never get a crack at the UFC title and left the promotion for Bellator in April of 2019.
Barnett has never another major world championship.
Hughes went on to defend the title five times before losing to BJ Penn at UFC 46. He reclaimed the welterweight title by handing Georges St-Pierre his first loss as a professional for the vacant title at UFC 50. Overall, Hughes would make seven successful welterweight title defenses before losing to St-Pierre at UFC 65. The 46-year-old retired in 2013 and is in the UFC Hall of Fame.
