ACB return to the U.K. on 11th March with a mouth watering event (with a total of twenty-four fights!) at the Manchester Arena with the main event seeing England's own Luke Barnatt face mixed martial arts legend Mamed Khalidov.
The card also features local star Saul Rogers facing UFC veteran Pat Healy and Brendan Loughnane looking to avenge his loss to Mike Wilkinson in one the most anticipated domestic rematches.
Our resident MMA expert, Darren Russell, got the chance to talk with Luke "Bigslow" Barnatt ahead of the fight and here's what he had to say...
Mamed Khalidov is widely considered to be one of the best middleweights in the world and hasn't been stopped since 2005. Do you think you're an underdog going into the fight?
I think if you look at it as a statistician, he's had three times as many fights as me, but I feel like this is his hardest fight in a long time. The more he goes on, the weaker he gets as he gets older. I've had four wins in fourteen months he's not as active as me, he's only fought once in that time.
He's the highest ranked middleweight in Europe ever. He was once thought to be the man to dethrone Anderson Silva. I'm the underdog, but it suits me fighting in front of my home country.
Credit: ACB
How do you feel your height will aid you in the fight considering your huge advantage?
I think its seven inches! Everyone who jokes about it gets knocked out. I don't know if it means anything but it's clearly on his mind.
It's a huge advantage but it's my style that's his biggest problem. I'm constantly in your face and throwing punches which he doesn't like. I don't think about it really! I just walk around six-foot-six but I want to fight my way using my style.
How has your training camp gone for the fight?
I fought December 19th and won by TKO then went and had a good Christmas. I went to train in Thailand from New Years Day and get the Christmas weight off and have some fun.
I've done my entire camp in Spain for the first time. Having my guys in my own gym that are capable of providing what I need to have. It's the happiest and most comfortable I've ever been. I've been in such a good routine for eight to nine weeks and surrounded by friends and family. It's been perfect.
How did signing for ACB come about?
It's been in the works for a while. I've commentated on eight or nine events for them. They're expanding worldwide but ACB is huge in Russia.
From the first time I commentated for them, I knew they would try to get me to fight. At first I hesitated and didn't want to fight for them as I wanted to keep commentary and fighting separate. I felt Russia was a different world but thought I'd fight across Europe or America.
I love the commentary gig and I'm talented in that area with the right mindset for it. I work so hard and do so much research, but when the microphone goes on I just go for it all natural, what you see is what you get.
My focus is on fighting solely. I've searched for fights in Italy, Romania and I've made it happen for myself. Now I'm in a place that when I beat Khalidov, I'm ready to do anything I want to do.
When they came to Glasgow for their first UK show, they discussed coming to England. They asked again and I told them I only want Mamed Khalidov who is huge in Poland and Russia. I just wasn't interested in anyone else. This is an elevation fight to take myself to the next level.
I'd love to fight in London. I've got a lot of friends based nearby and it would be great to get them all to an event. Once Manchester is finished, I think ACB may look towards holding an event in London.
Credit: ACB
Will this be your only fight under the ACB promotion?
I've signed a one fight deal with ACB. They have opportunity to match my next offer and I have the choice to accept or reject.
It depends what happens and the landscape of this fight with Khalidov. If I'm victorious and the UFC come knocking and make me a good offer, then I'll do it! If they hesitate at it, my life is perfect. I live in Spain, have my commentary, my gym and a lovely wife. When you join the UFC that all takes over. They tell you where and when you're fighting and you don't have any control.
There are a lot of other organisations too. When I beat Mamed, if ACB want to keep me they need to get their cheque book out. I have options with Pancrase in Japan, Bellator also, who I probably wouldn't sign for if the UFC were on the table and KSW.
I've got three options after this fight. I could fight for the ACB middleweight title; I could rematch Khalidov over at KSW or return to the UFC.
Do you consider this to be the biggest fight of the career?
Once you get into the UFC, every fight is your biggest fight. The Ultimate Fighter was a big fight, my first ever fight in Vegas was amazing, I've fought in Manchester, and each fight was bigger and bigger.
This is my highest ranked opponent I've ever fought, but not the most known outside Poland/Russia. He's huge in Poland and even has his own energy drink. You go into their equivalent of Boots and his can his there!
I'm the main event at an ACB event and they are taking over Europe. You could pick five or six fights that could be main event. You've got a rematch with two local fighters who competed in the UFC with Brendan Loughnane and Mike Wilkinson. Saul Rogers who has destroyed everyone that has been put in front of him is also on the card and you'll also see Vinny Magalhaes who's a huge star in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world.
It's the first time in my career that I will be the main event in my home country. Its definitely the biggest occasion and biggest fight of my career, but it changes nothing. I'm focused.
What do you think the atmosphere will be like on the night?
He is a huge name, but I'm not sure how many Polish fans will fly over for the event but there's a huge Polish community in the UK. They all watch KSW and Polish TV and know who Mamed Khalidov is.
It'll be a good vibe from the English and Polish fans. My best performance in the UFC was against Andrew Craig in Manchester! My wife is from the Wirral and her family and friends are coming.
I think there will be about a 70-30 split between the British and Polish fans especially for the main event. The crowd will enjoy that fact each fight is back to back, no messing around. Someone gets knocked out and their body gets dragged out and we start the next fight.
ACB don't fuck around. It's all less show, more fighting.
Credit: ACB
Do you feel that your stay in the UFC was cut short prematurely after three decision losses?
I feel like I went on a five fight win streak when I joined. When I lost to Mark Munoz I knew I was gone, so it wasn't a shock but I was low. I got married six months after so it took my mind off it.
In my loss to Sean Strickland, Dana White even tweeted saying I won! They have training courses for judges and they use that fight as an example. If you score it for Strickland winning you don't pass the course. Financially it hurts as I lost out on money but I should have knocked him out.
I'd switched gyms after Tsunami closed and went to San Diego with new environment and a lot going on at that time. I wasn't mature enough. I went to Texas and fought Roger Narvaez and he knew the judges, the referees and the commission as he was a local firefighter. Of course he took the majority decision victory.
It was a great experience being in the UFC. It sucked at the time to be released but now I look back and how I've learned from that. It sounds cliché, but it was the best thing to happen. I moved home, got married and opened my own gym. I'm much more at peace with my life and happier now than I was than training at Alliance MMA in San Diego.
I desire a second chance in the UFC. I felt I went 5-1, but a few decisions didn't go my way, which is my fault but I feel as thought I was only half trying. When I get it all together, I'm in the perfect position to go.
You also have your own MMA gym in Benalmadena, Spain. How did that come about?
I moved to California to train at Alliance and myself and my wife loved the lifestyle. Living by the sea, being in the sun and roller-skating. We went to visit my mother who had moved to Benalmadena while I was living in California and we enjoyed it so much that on the plane home we decided to live in Spain!
A week later, we packed up everything, drove to Spain and lived with my mum for two months. I found a job teaching martial arts locally in an MMA gym where I met Santeri Lilius who was a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Roger Gracie.
We had been working at the gym for eight months to a year when the owner fired Santeri for no reason. Myself and Santeri decided that we should set up our own gym and looked at a unit the next day and within a week began to build the gym.
It's been a year since we made the move and we now have three jiu-jitsu instructors as well as myself and Daniel Jacare who teach mixed martial arts. We've got a team with sixty students and it's a great start.
We want to do a lot of things including summer holiday camps for people from the UK and Europe to come and train in martial arts and get some sun. We're now focusing on building the business and taking it to the next level. I can even speak a bit of Spanish!
Where did your nickname of Bigslow come from?
It's a terrible nickname! John Maguire, his brother Tommy and Jack Mason were the first people I trained with! Everyone beat me up and John and Tommy were insulting towards me.
They are part of the traveling community and practice gypsy jiu-jitsu, but they speak so quick in a gypsy manner and couldn't understand. They said I'm big and slow in the head so I became the Bigslow but it was an insult! Tommy said I was mentally slow but he can't write!
They thought I'd be at the gym for two months then I'd give it up and drop out. I competed as an amateur six months later and they announced me as the Bigslow, which I didn't even ask for! The name has just stuck ever since.
Credit: ACB
You only started MMA when you were 21. What got you into the sport?
From being aged eleven to twenty, all I did was eat, drink coke and play computer games for around fifteen hours a day, even missing school. My friend James and I used to play Tactical Ops on the PC and became the best two players in the world. I was a sniper who specialized in the maps; Blister and Scope. You couldn't fuck with me on that game!
I can't even own a games console any more as I know that I wouldn't go and train, I'd completely give up. If something like Twitch existed in those days, I'd be the biggest star of the gaming world!
Jack Mason introduced me to mixed martial arts slowly which took my attention away from gaming. I was a geek in an era where if you said you played World of Warcraft, people would think you're mental.
Before I was 21 I had only played basketball, purely for my height. Three years from training in mixed martial arts for the first time, I competed in the UFC. I only had a boxing coach for 6 months! You get put on such a pedestal as a UFC fighter. You compete with athletes who have trained for fifteen to twenty years!
Now I'm in a different league and I'm still only twenty-eight, that's only seven years training which is nothing! I was so annoying to be around in the gym as I'd ask the more experienced people for advice and want to roll with them at that time. People hated me for it but training at such a high level at Tsunami helped me straight away.
Chael Sonnen is considered to have a huge influence on your career. How vital has it been to have him around?
I fought on his team on The Ultimate Fighter 17 and was his number one pick due to my cardio. You don't see the fights that you have to win to get on to the season, but it was the best performance of my career.
Chael and Jon (Jones) were the coaches on the season and faced each other at the end of the season. They were both so different; Jones didn't turn up to the training sessions with the team whereas Chael was at every session. He'd even come and spend time with the fighters on both teams at the house and have dinner with us. It was incredible.
When The Ultimate Fighter finished, I trained with Chael in Oregon and sparred with him twice a week, which brought us closer as we'd spend a lot of time together. I went to watch him fight and we hung out a lot.
Chael really is an idol, and they say don't meet your idols. I was such a geek as I knew all his stories before I went into The Ultimate Fighter. When I met him, people gave the impression that he would be a dick but he's one of the most generous guys I know. I'm glad to call him my friend.
We still talk weekly or whenever we've got something to say. He asked about my weight and gives me advice. I like the fact he is known as my mentor, but it's a bit strong!
You've only had 15 professional fights, but we talk about you as an experienced fighter and it feels like you've been around forever, do you feel the same or do you feel like it's all just started for you?
I feel like I've only just started. I'm so young for this sport and I'm twenty-eight right now!
If you look at the middleweight division in the UFC, there are only two fighters in the top ten that are under thirty (Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum) The champion Michael Bisping is thirty-seven!
I started late and literally from no athletic background. I've had no injuries, no surgeries or no brain damage, my body is perfect!
I feel like when I beat Mamed, I'm in a powerful position with the potential to fight for three titles; defending my Venator middleweight title, having a rematch with Khalidov for his KSW middleweight title and fighting for the ACB middleweight title.
It's only the start of my career. I don't want to be lingering around at the end of my career. I've got 4 years at my prime; smash people, win titles then I'm out.
How are things going down on March 11th?
I'm fighting against one of the best middleweights to ever walk the earth and if I allow him to fight his game, it could be short night for me. If I fight my game, it's a long night for him.
I've never been finished and he's a finisher. It will either go all his way early on and he'll catch me with something flash, or all my way the whole fight meaning he'll get seriously hurt for fifteen minutes.
I'm ready to go and I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully I give the fans something to cheer about.
Stay tuned in to The ODDs Bible for more mixed martial arts content and don't miss the chance to win two tickets to #ACB54!
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Words By: @DRussellMMA
Check out Luke's gym in Benalmadena, Spain on Facebook.
