Team LA Dragons will have a familiar face on its side when they take on Team Seattle Warriors at SFL America: Team Challenge on July 23 at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma as Josh Barnett will be in the corner of the visiting squad.
Barnett, a former UFC heavyweight champion, hails from Seattle, but now fights out of Fullerton, California, and while he will be opposing his hometown team at the event, “The Warmaster” knows firsthand the MMA talent that is being produced in the Pacific Northwest.
Barnett is one of the several fighters from Washington who have captured UFC gold, joining Seattle’s Maurice Smith, Everett’s Randy Couture and Parkland’s Demetrious Johnson and Miesha Tate in accomplishing the feat.
The 8-bout card will feature two preliminary and six Seattle Warriors vs. LA Dragons bouts, including one female flyweight bout.
Fighters will earn 6 points for a KO, 5 points for a submission victory, 4 points for a TKO, 3 points for a decision and 1 point for a draw with the winning team collecting the most combined points.
“I think the strong wrestling programs have played a part in it,” Barnett said when asked why the region has been so successful in producing gifted MMA fighters, “but I’m going to take the Olympia Beer position - It's in the water.”
Mentioning about the team concept of the event, Barnett mentioned – “It's great and hopefully will encourage people to personalize their participation in watching the fights if even through the cities the teams represent. We expect to have a well-balanced, hard-hitting crew.”
“This is the second time that we are testing waters with the team concept in SFL America after a super successful event between Seattle and Portland on May 7, 2016. We aim to create something unique globally for MMA fans”– mentioned British Pro Boxer Amir Khan, Chairman, Super Fight League.
