Josh Barnett's Manager Says Fighter Not Defending King Of Pancrase Title In 2013

Source: Sherdog

Leland LaBarre, the manager for Josh Barnett, denied a report that Barnett would defend his King of Pancrase title in 2013. A report circulated on Thursday that Barnett had told the promotion he would fight for them next year.

It's not true," said LaBarre, in an interview with Sherdog.com. "I guess (Pancrase) talked to Josh while (Josh) was (in Japan), and they said they would love to have him back, but there was nothing (to it)."

LaBarre said that Barnett is focused on his next Strikeforce bout and that he is "totally back" from suffering a broken hand in a loss to Daniel Cormier.

Barnett won the Pancrase open weight title in 2003. It is unknown if "The Warmaster" will follow other Strikeforce heavyweights into the UFC, but his manager seems to think so.

"If Zuffa wants Josh Barnett to fight in their UFC Octagon after Josh's last Strikeforce fight," LaBarre said, "I think that is where he'll be."

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