World Victory Road on Thursday announced that Jeff Monson will face former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Josh Barnett at its Sengoku II event on May 18.
After more than a year of inactivity in mixed martial arts, Barnett returned to the ring at the inaugural Sengoku event in March of this year. He made an impressive return, submitting Olympic Gold Medal judoka Hidehiko Yoshida late in the third round.
Currently ranked No. 4 in the world, Barnett is one of the most sought after heavyweight free agents in the sport.
Monson, like Barnett, is a veteran of both the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships. Also like Barnett, he has been active in the sport for more than a decade. He last competed at Platinum Fighting Productions’ Ring of Fire event in Manila, Philippines.
Sengoku II Bouts and Participants (officially announced):
-Josh Barnett vs. Jeff Monson
-Jorge Santiago vs. Yuki Sasaki
-Satoru Kitaoka vs. Ian Schaffa
-Eiji Mitsuoka vs. Kwang Hee Lee
-Mike Pyle vs. Dan Hornbuckle
-Yoshihiro Nakao vs. Jim York
-Kevin Randleman vs. Ryo Kawamura
-Roger Gracie vs. TBA
