Affliction 3 Thread (bad news)

[Rampage]

Josh Barnett supposedly tested positive for roids!


Affliction Entertainment and M-1 Global are looking for a new opponent to face Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction “Trilogy” on Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Multiple sources have told Sherdog.com that the California State Athletic Commission will not license Josh Barnett after a positive result on a pre-fight test. Calls to the California State Athletic Commission and Affliction Entertainment were not immediately returned.

Barnett said he had not been notified of any issues with his eligibility as of Tuesday evening.

“I took my test three weeks ago. I would have thought I would have heard something by now,” Barnett told Sherdog.com.

However, the former UFC heavyweight champion said he had not checked his phone messages recently and later added, “No matter what happens with this, I can assure you I will clear my name. This will not be something that I am defined by.”

Vitor Belfort has agreed in principle to face the world’s No. 1 heavyweight on 11 days’ notice, according to two separate sources close to the negotiations. One source told Sherdog.com that Emelianenko will have the opportunity to choose between Belfort and Bobby Lashley. Lashley has denied knowing anything about replacing Barnett, though.

"I don't know if I would want it right now. Since the last fight, I haven't really been into training again," he said. "That fight is next week. That would be something I would really have to take a look at. To just jump in there probably wouldn't be the smartest thing for me right now. A lot of people would say that might be a money fight. They figure, 'If we give him enough money, will he do it?' That's what people tend to look at. I don't want to get into fighting for the money so much right now.

Belfort, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, is scheduled to face American Top Team standout Jorge Santiago in a middleweight bout on the Aug. 1 card.

Greg Savage, T.J. De Santis and Jeff Sherwood contributed to this report, which was updated at 1:06 a.m. EST with additional information from Lashley

 

[DemonBlood]

Damn you Dana White for sabotaging this!!!






Josh was so afraid of Fedor he jumped to the roids real quick. He has tested positive before in the past IIRC right? I could be thinking of someone else though.

 

[CATCH17]

Please let Fedor fight Lashley.

 

[Monster Heel]

Damn you Dana White for sabotaging this!!!






Josh was so afraid of Fedor he jumped to the roids real quick. He has tested positive before in the past IIRC right? I could be thinking of someone else though.

He was stripped of the UFC HW title for steroids, Barnett that is.

 

[Ren]

Again?!

I kinda thought he was innocent the first time when they let him fight anyways and never tested him a 2nd time.
This pretty much proves that he does indeed do roids, no one who gets caught twice is innocent.

Way to ruin the biggest HW fight in years Josh :bang2:

 

[DemonBlood]

Please let Fedor fight Lashley.

Heh, from the quotes in that article Lashley seems like he doesn't want any part of Fedor.

 

[Ren]

Heh, from the quotes in that article Lashley seems like he doesn't want any part of Fedor.

He'd probably take a fight with Fedor if he was offered one, but if he's smart he won't take one on a little over 1 weeks notice. There's no way you can prepare for Fedor in 1 week

 

[DasTex]

Heh, from the quotes in that article Lashley seems like he doesn't want any part of Fedor.

I don't blame him one bit. Lashley - with his speed and strength could really make a name for himself - and set up a HUGE payday by facing Fedor later on.

If he takes this fight, there is no doubt he would lose to Fedor with lack of prep. for him. Then some of that hype would be lost for Lashley - and really in the marketing arena that is MMA - he needs all he can get.

 

[QT]

Whoever Fedor faces and beats, people will say something.

Lashley - He's raw, never had a real fight, thus was an easy fight.
Belfort - Recently fought at 185lbs. Washed up; past his prime.

Out of the two, I'd rather see Fedor fight Belfort. I've been a Belfort fan since he was a UFC champ.

 

[Rampage]

I just got off the phone with Bill Douglas, Assistant Executive Officer of the California State Athletic Commission who gave the following statement in regards to my inquiry as to if they would be willing to sanction Vitor against Fedor given that Belfort was scheduled to fight at 185 pounds and Fedor is the #1 Heavyweight in the world:

"I've heard that rumor as well and that has not been proposed to us and it is not even something we're looking at seriously right now. No one has even approached us with that. Not to say they're not going to approach us with it but no one has said anything about it at this time."
​

So it's not a no, but it has yet to be brought to the CSAC so it sounds things haven't gotten too far along in that direction. This post will be updated in a few moments with the CSAC's official press release on Josh Barnett's suspension. But this story is certainly taking some interesting twists and turns. BloodyElbow is your home for updates as they break on this story.
__________________


http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2009/7/22/958021/bloodyelbow-exclusive-vitor

 

[Ren]

If the Sobral vs Mousasi fight wasn't set in stone Mousasi would be a good opponent for Fedor as he's moving up to HW anyways and he's legit.

I'm really disappointed i've been looking forward to this fight since it was announced and i've been hoping to see it for even longer then that.
I hope Barnett gets kicked out of MMA for good after this.



:bang2:

 

[Rampage]

Exclusive - Emelianenko Vs Belfort Official
<A href="http://www.thefightnetwork.com/author/13/john_pollock">

John Pollock
Fight Network Journalist



http://www.thefightnetwork.com/print/4020/exclusive__emelianenko_vs_belfort_official

http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news/mma/4020/exclusive__emelianenko_vs_belfort_official#


POSTED: July 22, 2009 - 2:49 pm
CATEGORIES: MMA

Shawn Tompkins, head trainer at Xtreme Couture, has confirmed to The Fight Network that Vitor Belfort has signed on to fight Fedor Emelianenko August 1st at the Affliction 'Trilogy' event in Anaheim, California.

Belfort was originally scheduled to fight Jorge Santiago on the same card in a middleweight bout. The main event was forced to be changed after Josh Barnett failed a pre fight drug test by the California State Athletic Commission.

http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news/mma/4020/exclusive__emelianenko_vs_belfort_official

 

[CATCH17]

Well Affliction is probably about to be done with.


Hopefully this gets us a Fedor vs Lesnar fight quicker.

 

[Rampage]

http://www.cbssports.com/mma/story/11976390

http://www.cbssports.com/print/mma/story/11976390http://www.cbssports.com/emailafrie...d new opponent for Fedor - Mixed Martial Artshttp://www.cbssports.com/xml/rsshttp://www.facebook.com/share.php?u...r Fedor - Mixed Martial Arts - CBSSports.com
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For Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett was the only suitable opponent left. Now, there is nobody.
And yet, there must be somebody. Fedor Emelianenko will fight in the main event of Affliction's Trilogy pay-per-view on Aug. 1, but he's no longer scheduled to fight the "Babyfaced Assassin."

Barnett's out. Who wants in? (Affliction) During a conference call this afternoon, Affliction vice president Tom Atencio confirmed that Barnett failed a pre-fight screening for banned substances by the California State Athletic Commission, and would not be licensed to fight Emelianenko in Anaheim.
Atencio said Barnett is appealing the test result, and that he believes the commission is still testing the second of two samples submitted from Barnett. But with time rapidly running out, Atencio is moving forward on securing a replacement challenger for Emelianenko. He wouldn't say that Barnett was definitely off the show no matter what, but clearly, that's the idea.
"I'm definitely moving ahead [without Barnett]," Atencio said. "I have to move ahead."
Since this all happened nine days before the fighters are due on the scales to weigh in for their bouts, they'll have to work quickly.
Atencio indicated that he's fielding lots of offers from fighters interested in the bout, and that he's entered negotiations with three potential challengers. But he won't name any names.
"Negotiations are in place," he confirmed. "But until I have a contract finalized and it's done, I'm just not gonna say anything. It just doesn't make sense for me to get anybody's hopes up."
Unless the failed drug test is overturned or ruled invalid, Barnett is probably facing a minimum one-year ban from fighting, which would be recognized by all major state commissions in the U.S. Making the situation even more dire for Barnett, this is his second test failure, so the commission could choose to revoke his license all together.
But all of that can wait. The more pressing issue is finding somebody to fight the most feared and respected MMA heavyweight in the world on a little more than a week's notice. Any takers?
On the bright side, Barnett's replacement likely won't have to worry about cutting tons of weight on short notice, since the heavyweight limit is a very attainable 265 pounds. On the other hand, very few people pose a credible threat to Emelianenko, much less in the trouble-plagued heavyweight division. For Affliction, this is an even worse time than usual to be scrambling for a talented, available heavyweight.
Mere hours before the news of Barnett's test failure broke, Strikeforce had to scrap its own heavyweight title fight set for Aug. 15 on Showtime, when champ Alistair Overeem pulled out of his defense against Fabricio Werdum due to a slow-healing hand injury.
Under normal circumstances, Affliction might have been able to make a deal with Strikeforce for an interesting replacement opponent for Emelianenko, such as Werdum or Brett Rogers. But with Strikeforce promising to book a heavyweight replacement bout for its own show, they'll need their best hands on deck, and therefore might hesitate to lend out Werdum or Rogers to Affliction at the expense of their own show.
Atencio would not say whether Rogers or Werdum had been pegged as a possible challenger for Emelianenko, but he did admit to chatting with Strikeforce about some possibilities.
"I work with Strikeforce," he said. "We share fighters, as everybody knows, so I'm taking to them."
Middleweight Vitor Belfort has reportedly agreed to fight Emelianenko if asked, which would take him out of his fight against fellow 185-pounder Jorge Santiago on the Affliction undercard. Belfort has knockout potential and name value to MMA fans, but moving up two weight classes -- against no less a challenge than Emelianenko -- is a risky proposition on such short notice.
Bobby Lashley has been discussed as a possibility, but considering he has not been training recently and he seems content to work his way up the MMA ladder slowly, he'd probably need tons of convincing or a truck load of cash -- possibly both -- to take a risk against Emelianenko.
The UFC has temporarily depleted the ranks of heavyweight free agents by booking a full season of The Ultimate Fighter around the weight class. While not every fighter on the upcoming TUF season -- which has completed filming, but does not begin airing on TV until September -- will end up with a UFC contract, the contestants are largely stuck on the sidelines, not allowed to accept fights until the season finishes airing in December. That excludes Kimbo Slice and Roy Nelson from consideration.
Emelianenko has already crushed former UFC champions Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia. Both men have since been smashed by lesser opponents and dropped by the promotion.
Heavyweights Gilbert Yvel, Paul Buentello and Ben Rothwell are already booked for the Affliction undercard and could conceivably fight Emelianenko in a pinch, but none of their names had surfaced as a possibility as of Wednesday afternoon.
Despite the daunting task of finding an opponent for the world's best heavyweight on ultra-short notice, the show must go on.
"There is no consideration for postponing the event," Atencio said.
Honestly, the way things have been going lately, they would probably end up with some last-minute headache if they rescheduled, just like they're dealing with now. Better to confront it head on this time and absorb the damage early, rather than prolong it and take a chance on everything falling perfectly into place at a later date.
In the meantime, Fedor will still fight somebody on Aug. 1. Some lucky heavyweight (or middleweight?) will step up for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fight the iconic "Last Emperor" on pay-per-view, on the off chance that they might be the guy to finally stop his reign of dominance.
A more likely scenario is they'll be his next victim. But hey -- join the club.

 

[Ren]

Well Affliction is probably about to be done with.


Hopefully this gets us a Fedor vs Lesnar fight quicker.

Depends on their ability to promote Gegard Mousasi as a legit contender to Fedors title. If they can then they probably have one more show in them, however if Mousasi loses next saturday affliction is probably done.

Fedor vs Vitor is such a non event it's saddening but they do have a decent undercard so it should still be a good event regardless, just don't expect the Fedor fight to go much longer then 30-40 sec

 

[Rampage]

Depends on their ability to promote Gegard Mousasi as a legit contender to Fedors title. If they can then they probably have one more show in them, however if Mousasi loses next saturday affliction is probably done.

Fedor vs Vitor is such a non event it's saddening but they do have a decent undercard so it should still be a good event regardless, just don't expect the Fedor fight to go much longer then 30-40 sec

well maybe if the dude would pick a freaking weightclass and stay there.:laugh2: but he hasn't fought anybody imo to deserve a shot at Fedor.

 

[Rampage]

On today's Affliction: Trilogy conference call, Tom Atencio said "this has been a complete surprise to us. If the results (of Barnett's test) stand, we are deeply disappointed."
Beau Dure asked if Josh Barnett's test could be overturned. It was Atencio's understanding that the CSAC had taken two samples and are now testing the second sample provided at the initial testing.
Franklin McNeil asked if Vitor Belfort would be fighting Fedor. Atencio answered that until he had signed contracts in hand he would not be making any announcements.
Michael David Smith asked if it was difficult or easy to get an opponent to sign to fight Fedor and if Fedor and his management were going to exercise a veto on potential opponents. Atencio said Fedor is ready to fight anyone and that it is not a problem to find an opponent, but they are looking for the BEST possible opponent.
Mike Straka asked if they were talking to other organizations about bringing in outside fighters. Atencio said that he had been talking to Strikeforce but that there had been no discussions with the UFC.
Adam Wagner asked if Josh Barnett's second sample comes back positive, how will that affect your relationship with him? Atencio said it won't impact the relationship but it will be "something that will be on Josh" and that the real meaning will be that "he won't be able to fight in my organization anymore."
Denny Burkholder asked if Josh Barnett is cleared by the second test if he would still fight. Atencio said that is up to the CSAC and that his understanding that if Barnett is cleared that it is a very real possibility that the Fedor vs Barnett fight could go on.
Ariel Helwani asked what banned substance Barnett tested positive for. Atencio does not know.
Todd Martin asked if there had been any advance warning that there might be a problem with Josh's test results. Atencio said no, that yesterday was the first indication he had gotten that there might be a problem.
Michael David Smith asked how Atencio balances between the best PPV draw (Bobby Lashley) and the better sporting opponent (Fabricio Werdum). Atencio says he takes everything into account but that his emphasis is on putting on quality fights. "Look at the card. Affliction puts on quality cards and our priority is putting on the best event for the fans."
Affliction: Trilogy coverage

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Barnett, if he really is using roids and has tested positive again, is a friggen idiot. What a moron. He just screwed himself out of a HUGE payday, even if he'd lost.

Yet another reason why I don't understand why so many people are so high on this guy.

 

[CATCH17]

Barnett, if he really is using roids and has tested positive again, is a friggen idiot. What a moron. He just screwed himself out of a HUGE payday, even if he'd lost.

Yet another reason why I don't understand why so many people are so high on this guy.

Im not.

Lesnar is the 2nd best heavyweight in the world right now imo. Regardless of flaws in his technique.

 

[neosapien23]

Doesn't surprise me. Barnett was stripped of his UFC Champion status because of a positive test.