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I was still in college, in my junior year, living out in Denver, Colorado,” said the 34-year-old. “I was a super fan, but not necessarily training or anything like that. It was like a different lifetime for me when I was 21.”
In those ensuing 13 years, Barrett went through all sorts of twists and turns and ups and downs to lead him to this point, where he is a UFC featherweight determined to make a mark in the sport. That’s a lot of living to do, something Hooper hasn’t done yet. Whether that’s a good or bad thing will play out on fight night, but Barrett can somewhat relate to where his opponent is mentally following his first pro defeat against Alex Caceres in June.
“I’ve tried to remember what it felt like to be coming off my first loss,” Barrett said. “A lot of people go deep in looking to see where the errors are made, where you’re overlooking things. So I’ve taken the time to look at this fight from his perspective in that regard, as well.”
He laughs.
“Man, at 21, I was still properly not giving a f**k, running amok and causing a scene, tearing up life. I was living at 110 miles an hour in the other direction.”
Barrett eventually found his way, and his calling. And after weathering a 1-3 stretch in 2017-18, he got on track, won his fight on season three of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019 and earned a spot on the UFC roster. And while he dropped a decision to Youssef Zalal in his debut this past summer, he made an impression and sent a message that he’s not going anywhere.
“I went out there, I fought my ass off, and I made one thing very clear – you’re gonna need a gun to stop me and I think that resonates with a lot of fight fans to see the heart and passion and will continue after something like that,” said Barrett.