Barriault, who takes on Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Chidi Njokuani on Saturday, did his first camp with the team at Sanford MMA last year, ahead of his victory over Abu Azaitar in March. It was his first official victory in the UFC following a 0-3 start and a second-round finish of Oskar Piechota being overturned when he tested positive for ostarine.
A two-division champion under the TKO banner prior to signing with the UFC, Barriault knew he was capable of more than he’d shown in his first four outings, and after gutting out a victory over Azaitar, the 31-year-old French-Canadian went all-in on himself.
“I came here for my first training camp and I fell in love with the team — the teammates, the coaches, the vibe; just the lifestyle is perfect for me,” Barriault said of the all-star squad that includes coaches Henri Hooft and Greg Jones, prominent contenders Gilbert Burns, Michael Chandler, and a host of others. “As soon as I won my first UFC fight, I promised myself to do things for good reasons and be committed to what I want, so I made the move and here I am.”
Following his win over Azaitar, Barriault loaded up a travel RV and hit the road, along with his girlfriend and their dog, making the 25-hour drive south to set up shop and fully invest in chasing his dreams. A little more than five months later, he stepped into the Octagon against Dalcha Lungiambula and secured a second consecutive victory.
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“It’s a game-changer,” he said of being in South Florida, which has long been a destination of choice for athletes looking to forge their path inside the cage. “I needed to get out of my comfort zone. With all respect to my old teammates and my team, where I am right now in my career and my life, I just wanted to get all the experience I needed and surround myself with high-level athletes day-after-day, all the coaches that can push me through my journey, and be the best version of myself.
“I think all those setbacks, those speed bumps made me more angry, more hungry about what I need in life and what I want in my career,” Barriault said in regards to his rookie struggles, where he dropped consecutive decisions to Andrew Sanchez, Krzysztof Jotko, and Junyong Park in eight months. “Right now, even if I wanted to have a better start to my career, I’m grateful for what I’ve gone through and done at this point.