Retired MMA fighter from eastern Idaho facing off with Utah man in Las Vegas for a cause
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IDAHO FALLS — As Weston Barnes prepares for a grappling tournament in Las Vegas, he’s also fighting for a cause.
The 41-year-old Idaho Falls man is the owner of Team Lionheart MMA, a mixed martial arts gym at 510 Second Street. He’s also a retired MMA fighter.
On Nov. 11, Barnes and his opponent, John Valentine — a UFC champion from Utah — will headline a UFC tournament created by Randy Courture called Operation Knockout. It’s an annual event held at the Sahara Hotel on the Las Vegas strip.
The pair will square off in a 9-minute match using a form of ju-jitsu called grappling.
Barnes and his opponent are using the occasion to raise funds for local veterans.
The cause is near and dear to Barnes’ heart, and that’s why he decided to come out of retirement to compete in this event.
“I’m taking two of my coaches down there,” Barnes tells EastIdahoNews.com. “One of my coaches is a sergeant in the Army. He got hit by a roadside bomb (in Iraq) a few years back. I’m dedicating the fight to him and my father, a Vietnam vet who passed away in 2013.”
Barnes and Valentine have been friends for a while. Valentine initially reached out to Barnes about the Vegas tournament. Barnes is always looking for ways to give back to the community, and he was on board.
Barnes fought professionally for about 11 years and won several awards. His proudest accomplishment is winning a fight in Utah several years ago, just a few days after his mom passed away.
“I didn’t want to fight (that day), but I (mustered) the courage to do it, and I went in and beat the guy (quickly),” he told us in 2020. “It felt like my mom was in there with me. It was weird.”
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A tattoo on his neck symbolizes a guardian angel, which Barnes got in memory of his mom.
In many ways, becoming a professional fighter serves as a metaphor for Barnes’ life. He spent four years in state prison on burglary charges. He recalls spending lots of time alone in isolation and committing himself to make better choices when his sentence was complete.
After getting out of prison, he watched an MMA fight with his cousin and was instantly hooked.
Fighting has become a healthy outlet for Barnes, and after all these years, he says he’s kept the promise he made to himself while living behind bars.
There are several ways people can contribute to the cause. One way is to buy tickets to the event. You can also make a donation.
“There are different packages,” Barnes says. “If you donate $3,000, you get access to the VIP party with all the celebrities. It’s a red carpet event.”
“Even if you can only donate $5 — skip your Starbucks coffee for a few days. Donate whatever you can for the men and women in uniform,” Barnes adds.
For tickets, click here. To make a donation, click here.
Our attorneys tell us we need to put this disclaimer in stories involving fundraisers: EastIdahoNews.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries.