By , Damon Martin
Published September 29, 2015
This weekend the UFC returns to Japan with a heavyweight main event as Josh Barnett takes the Octagon for the first time in nearly two years when he faces Roy Nelson in a five-round headliner that isn't likely to make it to the final bell.
Barnett will fight for the first time since 2013 after taking an extended break from the sport to pursue his acting and commentating career.
Now with a renewed sense of purpose and energy, Barnett is ready to conquer the heavyweight division once again, and it starts with winning this weekend.
As for Nelson, he's endured the toughest stretch of his career lately, going just 1-4 over his past five fights, but the heavyweight slugger is more than capable of pulling off a haymaker knockout as he's done so many times during his UFC career.
With a six fight main card airing life on FS1, not to mention four more prelims headed to FS2, there are plenty of reasons to watch UFC Fight Night: Barnett vs. Nelson but we're here to give you five of them.
Barnett's Biggest Stage
Josh Barnett started his career as "The Baby Faced Assassin" in the UFC where he quickly rose up the ranks and won the heavyweight title in only his fifth fight with the promotion. Barnett eventually left the UFC and ended up in PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan, where he spent the majority of the next five years.
Barnett fought in Japan when PRIDE was thriving with one of the deepest heavyweight divisions in the history of the sport. He also dabbled in professional wrestling in his off time, which is a huge attraction in Japan.
Barnett engaged in some of his most memorable battles in Japan as well with wins over names like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Hunt and Alexander Emelianenko.
Now Barnett gets to go back to Japan to fight for the first time in over five years as he looks to entertain the fans with his usual high-intensity pace and showmanship before and after the fight is over.
Barnett has spent more time in Japan that any other country in the world outside of his home in the U.S., so this will really be a special moment for the veteran heavyweight as he embraces his return to the land of the rising sun.
Go Big or Go Home
The main event between Barnett and Nelson promises to be explosive because these two heavyweights are nothing if not consistent for finishing fights in spectacular fashion.
Barnett currently holds an 84.8-percent finishing rate during his career with a slew of submissions and a few knockouts on his record as well. Barnett is well-versed in putting on a show and chances are with the Japanese crowd behind him, this will be a golden opportunity to shine.
On the other side of the Octagon is Nelson, who holds two bricks in his hands and a chin full of concrete as his best defense. Nelson has seven wins in the UFC -- all of them ending by way of knockout, which accounts for the fifth most KO's in the history of the promotion.
Nelson has also earned six post-fight awards for "Fight of the Night", "Knockout of the Night" and a "Performance of the Night" bonus as well, which accounts for the most of any heavyweight in UFC history.
Considering the kind of power Barnett and Nelson will be throwing around at each other on Saturday night, there's virtually no chance this fight will ever see the judges' scorecards and the odds are this one ends with one of the main event fighters laying the ground staring up at the lights when it's over (removing for slight redundancy).
Homecoming Part 2
Barnett isn't the only fighter on the upcoming UFC Fight Night card to build his career while fighting in Japan. Middleweight co-main event fighter Gegard Mousasi called Japan his fighting home for a big portion of his career and it was there where he gained a reputation for not only being one of the best fighters in the world, but also willing to take on all comers.
Mousasi picked up a slew of big wins while competing in Japan, including his memorable up-kick knockout over Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza as well a victory over current welterweight star Hector Lombard.
Mousasi also famously fought in several weight classes, from middleweight to light heavyweight, as well as his participation in an open-weight grand prix where he tapped out current UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt.
Mousasi relished his time in Japan and now he will go back to the scene of some of his biggest and most high-profile wins as he tries to recapture the same spirit that helped him become one of the best fighters in the world.
It's Prime Time
Looking back now, Uriah Hall might almost regret having such a dominant run during his season of "The Ultimate Fighter" because those wins only amped up the pressure for him to duplicate those kinds of performances once he made it to the UFC, and he had very little room to grow.
The spotlight has been on Hall non-stop since he faced Kelvin Gastelum in the finals for the reality show, but he once again has a golden chance to prove the hype was real with his battle against Gegard Mousasi this weekend.
Hall might not be the next middleweight prodigy he was made out to be on the show, but he's still a very serviceable 185-pound fighter with the kind of moves that could produce a huge highlight reel by the time he finally retires.
A few bad losses have knocked the luster off this once-promising superstar but in a weird way that might actually benefit Hall going into his bout this weekend.
He's a big underdog on the betting lines, and that pressure valve already being released before ever stepping into the Octagon might be just the medicine Hall needs to go out there to fight loose and just have fun.
Sometimes a fighter enjoying his job is the most dangerous guy in the Octagon.
Going Old School
During the golden days of PRIDE Fighting Championships, fans in Japan were not only treated to some of the greatest fights of all time but they also enjoyed the benefit of seeing a huge array of local heroes performing week in and week out.
From legends like Kazushi Sakuraba to grappling superstar Shinya Aoki, Japan has always produced a rich crop of talented fighters and while the fight scene in the country has died down over the last few years, there are still prospects to be mined from one of the birthplaces of martial arts.
The upcoming card this weekend is no different with UFC veterans like Kyoji Horiguchi and Takeya Mizugaki on hand plus a ton of favorites from Japan, including Katsunori Kikuno, Mizuto Hirota and Keita Nakamura.
PRIDE may be gone forever, but there's still a chance to enjoy some great local talent when the UFC returns to Japan on Saturday night.
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