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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Josh Barnett and Ben Rothwell will square off this January at UFC on Fox 18, and Barnett thinks it's going to be one hell of a spectacle fight for the fans.
In an interview with FoxSports.com discussing the booking, Barnett espoused on heavyweight fighting's history, and why it's so appealing in the first place.
"Every card is a place for the heavyweights to go out there and showcase it," Barnett said. "There are great fighters up and all through the ranks of the UFC and MMA in an overall entity, but people want to see the big boys go at it. They want to see the heavyweights. The heavyweight boxing champion is a big deal for a reason. The K-1 heavyweight was big for a reason.
"People want to see the titans go out there and mash it up. People want to watch big stuff smash stuff. Ben and I have been doing fairly well for ourselves. I'm coming off a big win, Ben's strung a few together. So two big Viking sons of b****es going at it can't be a bad thing to watch."
The fight will take place on the undercard of the Jan. 30 event from Newark, New Jersey, which will be headlined by the light heavyweight tilt between Anthony "Rumble" Johnson and Ryan Bader.
Penick's Analysis: Barnett's right on about the appeal of a fight like this. Both are talented fighters, but it's the fact that there's so much power in the heavyweight field that always gets people reacting. Those big hits register, and that some in the division can absorb more than their fair share is crazy to many, and adds to wanting to see the big men do battle. That's very much what this fight will provide, and it'll be a great on on Jan. 30.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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