Josh Barnett doesn’t need to chase wrestlers to fill a Bloodsport card—according to the UFC veteran, they come to him. Over the years, stars like Jon Moxley, MVP, Pete Dunne, and Natalya Neidhart have stepped into the unique Bloodsport environment.
Speaking to The A2theK Wrestling Show, Barnett explained that wrestlers frequently approach him about competing, even when it means working for far less than they’d earn elsewhere.
“The reason why they’re there is because they literally came to me saying, ‘I want to be a part of this.’ People that are paid massive amounts of money under contract from major organizations say, ‘Yeah, we’ll come and do this for substantially less to be a part of this because we think this is incredible. This is something that we desire and it’s not some it’s not an itch we can get scratched somewhere else.'”
Barnett called these wrestlers “the strongest example” of how Bloodsport has built credibility among both fans and talent. With participants from WWE, AEW, TNA Wrestling, and beyond, Barnett stressed that the event is not tied to any single company.
“It’s not full of WWE or AEW talent or it’s not about any one organization. I have handpicked every single one of these these these wrestlers and matched them myself based on what I think is going to make the most interesting and most exciting matchups.”
Originally created by Matt Riddle, Bloodsport has staged 14 shows as of August 2025. Its 15th installment is set for September 28 at London’s Electric Ballroom. With demand from wrestlers higher than ever, Barnett’s challenge is not finding talent—but deciding how to put together the most compelling fights.