Bellator 235’s Markes Ready For ‘Warmaster’ … And Kongo

MMA News

Bellator 235’s Markes Ready For ‘Warmaster’ … And Kongo

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Bellator 235: “Barnett vs. Markes” takes place this weekend (Fri., Dec. 20, 2019) at Neil S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, streaming live online via DAZN (watch it) at 9 p.m. ET. The “USO Presents: Salute the Troops” main event will see former UFC Heavyweight champion and “Warmaster” Josh Barnett (35-8) return to action for the first time in three years against Ronny Markes (19-7).

Barnett’s long and public feud with United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) led to him being unable to compete inside the cage, but after an arbitrator ruled in his favor earlier this year, Bellator MMA offered him this main event and a chance to show that his war-like blades hadn’t rusted during a long hiatus away from competition.

Markes, meanwhile, will be coming in sharp. The 31-year-old fighter went on an impressive 14-1 run at the start of his career, but knockout losses to Yoel Romero and Thiago Santos led to his UFC release and changed the trajectory of his career. He’s 5-6 in the 11-fight span since, but he’s been over .500 in his Professional Fight League (PFL) stint and now aims to show even more in Bellator.

Markes recently spoke with MMAmania.com about the Heavyweight main event being offered to him by Scott Coker in his Bellator MMA debut.