Barnatt out to follow Bisping
Tuesday 29 January 2013 22:25, UK
Luke Barnatt hopes to follow the example of fellow middleweight Michael Bisping in his bid to progress inside the UFC.
"Bigslow" hails Bisping's influence in the UFC
Luke Barnatt hopes to follow the example of fellow middleweight Michael Bisping in his bid to progress inside the UFC. Barnatt was the only Brit to qualify for new series 'The Ultimate Fighter 17', having triumphed in his fight-off with American Nicholas Kohring to secure his passage into the competition. Having been chosen as Chael Sonnen's first draft pick, Barnatt has begun life impressively in the UFC, with the Cambridge-born fighter unbeaten in his mixed martial arts career to date. In Bisping, a former winner of TUF, Barnatt believes that "The Count" is the fighter he must beat to earn his status as the United Kingdom's number one middleweight. "Every English fighter wants to be the next Michael Bisping," Barnatt told skysports.com. "He's the man, and he's the only real fighter alongside Dan Hardy that has been in the UFC for a very long time and who has been very successful. "He's in my weight category and I really look up to him. To fight with him would be awesome. "I'm not a big fan of Bisping as a fan favourite, but I've got great respect for what he's accomplished for English MMA. He's the fighter you have to beat."Injury
Having suffered a fractured orbital socket against Kohring, Barnatt revealed the extent of his injury and how he feared he may not have been able to continue in the series. "I remember getting hit and I remember the pain," said Barnatt. "I can't actually feel the right side of my face. "I've got nerve damage just beneath my eye, while I'm numb between my orbital socket and the top of my lip. "I kept it quiet in the house in fear that the producers might find out and send me to the doctors and pull me out of the competition."Influence
With Sonnen as his mentor during TUF 17, Barnatt is now associating with some of the greatest fighters that mixed martial arts has to offer. Despite his remarkable ascent into the public eye, "Bigslow" continues to remain grounded, insisting that his greatest influences stem from those a little closer to home. "I have learnt a lot from Sonnen during the series and he will be a massive influence on my career. "We got on really well, but for me, as a fighter, the people I look up to aren't really the GSP's (George St-Pierre) and the Anderson Silva's; it's the people in my gym like John Maguire and Robbie Olivier. "I get a lot from all these guys surrounding me that have done so well for themselves and that is what gives me the confidence I have."See all of Sky Bet's UFC betting markets here
