Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett (photo via Strikeforce.com)

By Joshua Molina

UFC needs to sign Josh Barnett.

He’s a good fighter. He’s a talenter talker. He’s got a name that people recognize.

Barnett used to wear heavyweight gold in the UFC. But he was stripped after testing positive for banned substances.

Since, Barnett has fought around the world and proved he’s one of the best.

With Cain Velasquez’s win, and heavyweigh prospect Daniel Cormier likely moving to light heavyweight, the UFC needs Barnett.

After Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Bigfoot Silva, Roy Nelson, Frank Mir and Travis Browne, who else is out there?

Barnett can sell a fight. UFC needs talkers Let him in.

In more Twitter drama:

Jon Jones needs to grow up.

And Dan Henderson needs to shut up.

The two aren’t even fighting each other anytime soon, if ever, yet they are taking swings on Twitter.

Henderson tweeted; “Wishin everyone a Happy New year!! Be safe! No drinking and driving and hitting telephone poles.”

Jones, of course, was arrested and convicted of drunken driving after he wrecked his car into a utility pole.

Jones’ response: “lol the old guy got jokes.. that a boy… on to the next one.”

Henderson should be focused on Lyoto Machida, not Jones. He also shouldn’t make jokes about DUIs. Henderson is obviously not being sincere here about his drunken driving concerns, but more wanting to take a shot and Jones.

Jones wasn’t much better, once again going after Henderson’s age.

Will Jones be fighting at a championship level, or fighting at all, when he’s 42 years old?

Not likely. Henderson is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. He should be commended for his ability to fight at this age.

Jones won’t be calling Hendo an “old man” if Henderson ever connects with the H-Bomb on his head. Jones, 26, continually disrespects older fighters, which shows a lack of respect for those who made it possible for him to fight in a cage at all.

Next up for Jones is Chael Sonnen, in a fight that Jones should win, but it won’t be easy.

Twitter too often allows fighters to engage in unnecessary battles that make the sport look more like high school than the fastest-growing sport in the world.