UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Francis Ngannou led the praise for Chris Barnett after the 5'9" 271lb heavyweight came from behind to win his latest fight.
Barnett, 36, knocked out Jake Collier in the second round of their fight at UFC 279 last weekend but missed out on a $50,000 performance bonus after weighing in over the heavyweight limit. 'Beast Boy' became just the second heavyweight in UFC history to weigh over the 266lb limit and he opted not to use the extra hour given to him to cut the additional 1.5lb.
Seconds into the fight, Barnett was dropped by Collier and his left eye instantly swelled up. Two judges scored the opening round a 10-8 in Collier's favour, but it wouldn't matter as Barnett rallied to drop Collier in the second and stop him with follow-up strikes. Barnett then pulled off his trademark celebration by front-flipping in the octagon, much to the delight of fans and his fellow fighters.
Middleweight champion Adesanya reacted to Barnett's comeback win by tweeting: "LFG CHRIS!" Heavyweight champion Ngannou was also entertained, as he wrote: "No matter what you say, Chris Barnett is a warrior and a fun entertainer, congrats man". It was a much-needed win for Barnett, who had previously lost two of his three fights for the promotion heading into UFC 279.
Now-retired two-weight champion turned MMA analyst Daniel Cormier, who commentated Barnett's win, later wrote: "This was the most fun I've had in a long time, Chris Barnett did it!" Top-ranked middleweight Derek Brunson also chimed in by tweeting: "What a comeback by Chris Barnett, let's f****ng go."
What were your thoughts on Chris Barnett's comeback win at UFC 279? Let us know in the comments section below
Barnett was taken to hospital for his eye injury after his fight, with UFC boss Dana White confirming the heavyweight suffered a nasal fracture for his efforts. The 36-year-old revealed he went into his previous fight in April knowing that his wife was suffering from encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. Many fans were happy to see Barnett get back in the winning column after going through a tough time.
"I am so f****ng happy Chris Barnett won. He went through so much with his fiancé passing away and still brings that happy energy. I love him," one user wrote. "Chris Barnett really stole the show! He has such a fun style to watch, and a cool personality to go with it. Hope he has much success in the UFC," another fan commented. A third user wrote: "Chris Barnett has the MMA world in the palm of his hands right now. This is amazing. What a performer this man is."
