You get the impression neither Josh Barnett nor Roy Nelson is knocking on the door of a UFC heavyweight title shot these days.
You also get the distinct impression both guys are pretty cool with that.
Despite the fact both retain respectable rankings in the puddle-shallow 265-pound division—the 37-year-old Barnett is No. 8 while Nelson, who is 39, is ranked No. 11—their very existence feels independent of the heavyweight rat race.
And, yes, that’s absolutely meant as a compliment to this pair of MMA iconoclasts as they enter the twilight of their long, strange careers.