It took Chris Barnett just two UFC fights to become a fan-favorite.
His second fight, at UFC 268 at Madison Square Garden, ended in viral fashion, with the 35-year-old heavyweight breaking out a sudden spinning wheel kick to send Gian Villante to the ground, where Barnett finished off the TKO before celebrating with a front flip into a sitting landing, or as Barnett called, “the fat man flip.”
Before he knew it, Barnett was a cult hero with the UFC fanbase.
“Man, it’s wild,” Barnett told Pete Hoffman on the latest episode of The Fight Fan. “I’ve been doing it for awhile, but the wave that just hit me, I feel like I just got started the way I wanted to get started…I almost felt like someone put in the cheat code in the video game and we got to start all the way over with all the items we already picked up, all the swords, the armor we already picked up. I got the love with it too that I’ve always tried to project myself.”
Barnett, who danced his way out of the octagon after what was his first UFC victory, says he has more tricks up his sleeve for future fights, leaving the potential for more highlight-reel moves.
“This makes me want to be that much better,” Barnett said of his sudden fame. “That kick was cool, but I’ve got 20 thousand ore that nobody’s even seen yet, that I now know I have to get down to make this crowd even more entertained.”
With Barnett’s sudden popularity, UFC could have him headlining a fight somewhere down the road. Whenever that happens, Barnett will be ready, but he’s in no rush. He’s enjoying his current standing within the sport.
“Not to say it in a bad way, but everybody wants the crown. I’m cool with the lawn chair,” Barnett said. “I’m cool with holding the beats down. You guys want to kill each other? By all means. When it gets to my time to be there, I can change directions and change the whole mantra or whatever. But being the people’s champ…I’m cool with that. They can murder each other for that throne, and I’ll be in my lawn chair with my feet up.”
Listen to the full interview with Barnett on the full episode of The Fight Fan below!
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