Josh Barnett doesn't blame Werdum for UFC 196 withdrawal, but not buying the excuse

LOS ANGELES – Josh Barnett was speaking to the media at a Monday luncheon ahead of his UFC on FOX 18 matchup with Ben Rothwell when news broke thatFabricio Werdum had pulled out of the UFC 196 main event.

Heavyweight champion Werdum (20-5-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC) was originally scheduled to rematch former champion Cain Velasquez (13-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in the headliner, but Stipe Miocic (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) stepped in as a late-replacement challenger.

Werdum announced that injuries to his foot and back were enough for him to step out of the headliner slot though he did say he’d have gone ahead with the bout if Velasquez hadn’t also withdrawn.

When informed of the developing situation during the Q&A session, Barnett (34-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC) initially held back from taking shots at the champion.

“I can completely just say something bombastic and accusatory and negative right now to give myself some fame, but I’m not going to do that,” Barnett said. “I mean, he has to live with whatever decisions he makes, and you know he’s going to be upsetting the head office, of course. And he’s saying that it’s not reasonable for him to fight a different opponent that may require a different gameplan and may require a different what have you.”

If there was anything that Barnett most supported, it was the idea that Werdum has to look to protect his money-making position in the promotion. Now that he has the title, losing it on a late-replacement fight could be something he never recovers from a future earnings perspective.

However, Barnett wasn’t fully buying the excuse from the Werdum camp.

“Part of me understands that the potential of losing that belt – and what he will lost by losing that belt in terms of his money scale, his money scale and his money scale – and then everything else, is a lot, probably, for him that he feels to risk,” Barnett said. “He doesn’t want to risk the potential of walking in there, into the cage, and making leas than he’s making now. He probably feels like this opportunity to make this money, this is it. He’s 38. He’s coming into his prime. He’s had his best performances of his entire life. If he doesn’t do it now, it’s gone forever. He won’t make that money again. These are his opportunities for his paydays, so he’s fearful of losing that – understandably so. The way this game is structured, it is often win, lose, and that’s all.So I understand his fear, but should he take that fight? I think he should. I think he should step up and blast this guy – or

“So I understand his fear, but should he take that fight? I think he should. I think he should step up and blast this guy – or at least he should have come up with a better excuse. But it’s his life to live, not mine. The fans will judge him in whatever way they want to, and he’s got to live with whatever decision that is. And I’m not going to sit here and just be like, ‘Oh, he’s a punk. He’s a (expletive). He’s this,’ because I can understand where he’s coming from. I can see his reasoning.”

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