At a New York City press conference held by the Strikeforce promotion, Josh Barnett shared his feelings on the importance of winning the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix and what it would mean for the winner:
“This tournament is hugely important for MMA at large and especially for the heavyweight division because this is the greatest collection of heavyweight talent ever assembled for one tournament. This is not just a paper thing. The winner will be the No. 1 heavyweight in the world.”
“I’m very excited and glad to be part of it and hope to use it as a stepping-stone to re-establish my career and to re-establish myself as the No. 1 fighter. I haven’t lost in years and don’t plan to now.”
