CSAC Refuses to License Josh Barnett; Bout With Emelianenko Off for 'Affliction: Trilogy'
("Mostly-natural, baby!" Photo courtesy of MMA Mania.)
Bad news for MMA fans — and disastrous news for Affliction's MMA promotion. Sherdog is reporting that the California State Athletic Commission will not license Josh Barnett for his fight against Fedor Emelianenko at next Saturday's Affliction: Trilogy event due to a "positive test result." We're assuming that means steroids and not Hep B or something, though the CSAC promises to release a detailed statement today. Barnett, who was stripped of his UFC heavyweight title in 2002 for anabolic steroid use, was surprised by the news:
Now, Affliction must hustle up a new opponent for Emelianenko to beat the crap out of at the event. The front-runner is Vitor Belfort, who has been preparing for a middleweight match against Jorge Santiago; Belfort has reportedly agreed in principle to take the fight, according to sources close to the negotiations. It was also rumored that undefeated ATT product/pro wrestler Bobby Lashley was also offered the fight, though he might be a little too smart to take it:
If Affliction's future as an MMA promotion does indeed depend on this event, the outlook just got a lot more dismal. More details to come...
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Chopyo Says:
WTF
Bill C. Says:
Ridiculous. UFC needs to sign Fedor already. Enough messing around. As much as I would love to see him fight a 185-pounder or a former pro wrestler with 4 MMA fights, Barnett was his last legitimate challenge outside of the UFC Heavyweight division. This sucks.
Sgt. 606 Says:
This fucking sucks! Fedor finally gets to fight Barnett and this happens. Barnett should be burned at the stake.
Drizzal83 Says:
This is BS. Any guy fighting Fedor is allowed to roid up, in my opinion. The CSAC can suck my B-SAC.
Jugger Says:
Allow me to jump to conclusions:
Respect for Lashley = +5
Respect for Barnett = -5
mayhem Says:
"This will not be something that I am defined by.”
Yes Josh I am afraid it is. You have been caught before and you were caught again. You fucked up big time. IMO probably did it on purpose since he has been ducking this fight for years and now this was his only way out. Since he will now never fight Fedor people can always say
"Well he never beat Josh" pfft....
This is why Fedor needs to sign with the UFC. After Josh there are no more credible HW fighters left for him. Sorry but Vitor or Bobby are not going to get me to watch this fight. Both guys are in no way credible opponents.
I have now no intrest in Afflictions last card ever.
KingTcb Says:
Good. What a fat out of shape no talent jackass. He didn't stand a chance against fedor. He has no stand up game plus he couldn't even finish a submissions on Gil when he had him mounted for 20 min. I say send bobby in.
Bare Grappler Says:
This isn't Japan, Alistair, their are rules here. Mark it zero, Donny. Next frame.
Does this mean we may actually see Jeff Monson vs Fedor? Another heavy from the dark ages of the UFC heavyweight division that people will try to say is legitimate for Fedor to beat for a payday.
Canadian Chronic Says:
what the fuck?
cock lesnar Says:
FEDOR! FIGHT MEE!!!
Deathb4tapout Says:
Hell bring in Brett Rodgers. Ask Strikeforce and get it done.
JPfighter-DAMMA Says:
What a joke. I just lost all respect for Barnett. He was caught once before, and now he is caught again. Josh should go back to Japan and fight in professional wrestling, where he can take as many steroids as he wants.
hows taste my p... Says:
Bring in Ray Mercer!!!!
Fedor vs. Bas Says:
This is rediculous. There are no other legitimate HW's in Affliction. Maybe they can start going to Strikeforce to try to find fights. (Fabricio Werdum is looking for someone to fight). This and the Gomi fight were the only two fights I was interested in on this card. And Gomi is just a personal favorite. Its not like that is a great fight or anything.
Affliction is going down. This card is now WORTHLESS
Fedor vs. Bas Says:
Wait i figured it out!!!!!
Tom Atencio can step in to fight Fedor!
Soda Popinski Says:
Josh never wanted this fight to happen. He knows he'd get crushed. You think it was a win/win for him taking roids. Take them and dont get caught-might help me in the fight. Get caught- then I dont have to fight him.
Atta boy Josh. Way to screw up my day and next weekend.
DaltonSwayze Says:
I vote for Brett Rogers!
Seriously, though, I vote for Zuffa to lend Tim Hague as a show of goodwill
LoneWolf Says:
This blows. UFC already please.....this is getting a bit ridiculous...
JTho Says:
That's too bad. There's no way there're going to be able to come up with a quasi-decent contender on such short notice.
I'm not comparing Affliction to EliteXC, or Fedor to Kimbo, but there are a few obvious parallels -- one fighter who is the main draw and a dubious future of the organization. Hope they don't put Fedor in against his Seth Petruzelli. He didn't look very good against Arlovski, until he knocked him out cold. Think of how much shit Dana White would talk about Fedor being overrated if he lost. I almost can't bear to imagine it.
C-Bus Allstar Says:
So Bobby Lashley isn't all 'roids and no brain. Peculiar.
BTW: Bobby Lashley wouldn't last as long as Tim Sylvia did.
Junk Puncher Says:
Now Josh Barnett realizes what a mistake it was to accept that bottle of merlot from Dana White.
CanadianGreaser Says:
This fat faggot is actually still a fat juicing faggot. wow.
Poopchute Boxing Says:
whats that? DO I HERE A CHANT FOR "BOB SAPP!!!!!! WAR BEAST!!!"
caffn8d Says:
Dammit Barnett! WTF man?! *sigh*
"He didn't look very good against Arlovski, until he knocked him out cold." Yeah, what was he thinking trying to counter punch an aggressive fighter? Amateur. ;)
Poopchute Boxing Says:
@ C-BUS ALLSTAR
Bobby Lashely is stronger and probably more skilled than Timmie. He would last at least twice as long as Tim. Which would still only be like 1:30 but still it better than that fat outta shape turd could put together for both fights combined.
zombiekilla Says:
this card went from ppv to interweb for free...the next day...wtf ..i mean lets just end this affliction bs.
Pure Karate Says:
Speak up everybody. I can't hear you over Dana White's laughter.
BEAM Says:
Is there some way Affliction can make it an unsanctioned non-title fight? Or does not getting a license mean he's physically prohibited from stepping in the ring under any circumstances?
I feel bad for Tom Attencio. He may have been in over his head from the beginning, and his business model is obviously whacked, but his heart is in the right place and he was trying to do right by the fans and the fighters. Oh well...
clutchy hopkins Says:
"This isn't Japan, Alistair, their are rules here. Mark it zero, Donny. Next frame."
hahahahahahhahahahaha yes, beautiful reference.
i'm really dissapointed, but oh well. Maybe someone fun will step up?
He didn't look good in his bout against arlovski? well then he looked AWFUL in his fight against randleman, and disgusting in his fight against fujita. and Big Nog wouldve beat him if a headbut didnt cut fedor in that match. hahah why is it that an impressive comeback is just turned into the dude almost losing if its fedor? one of his best attributes is being calm under high pressure, fools.
for the record i don't think i would like seeing fedor in that little cage. dee dubya should just make a ppv in homage to pride and make the ring. and not worry about tying up mafuckas in a silly contract.
u02jgc9 Says:
Maybe Floyd Mayweather will step up and fight Fedor to show him what a beer drinker he is and how bad his piss poor conditioning and stand up is . . .
If not, then I'm rooting for Shaq to step in and bring some DREAM like quality this shocker
Koeikan Says:
Wow... Josh, Josh, Josh... You couldn't have made the same mistake again, could you? You couldn't have been so arrogant to think you'd be able to get away with it this time, could you?
Well, this is absolutely a death knell for Affliction. Fedor should hopefully be signed by end of year in the UFC.
I had just started to forgive him for the postive test he had against Randy... If this is true, it would really suck because I don't think I could continue to be a Barnett fan... and I think he's one of the most underrated heavyweights.
Koeikan Says:
Oh...and if Dana White paid Barnett to take steroids to torpedo Affliction's card, it would have been pure (evil) genius :). Yeah, I know...but it would have been funny (not funny haha) if he did.
tallkitchenbags Says:
what a twat. bring in brett rogers or seth petrazelli. barnett would have failed epically anyway. the dude is washed up and was NEVER in fedor's league at any point in his career.
Koeikan Says:
Also, he doesn't sound surprised about the result...just that he thought he would have been caught earlier?
He never says in that little statement that he didn't take any.
Criminally Negligent Says:
Someone should probably hide the shotgun and get Atencio some anti-depressants.
Hum Deez Nutz Says:
Can we lay off the Fedor/UFC crap. It is getting soooo repetitious and not even worth talking about until the day it happens to be honest. Yes, it would be cool to see him in UFC, I don't think anyone will disagree with that, but to read about it on here everyday gets old.
Oh yeah, Barnett is a complete douche.
tallkitchenbags Says:
seth wouldn't be a good fight, but it would throw another good fuck into DanaWhite by reiterating what a joke kimbo is when fedor ripped his face off.
Titos Head Says:
Fu$K!
El Famous Burrito Says:
Cabbage? Warpath? What's Keith Hackney doing these days?
DangadaDang Says:
How is it possible that Barnett can take so many steroids and still look so horribly out of shape?
UPDATE: Josh Barnett never KNOWINGLY ingested steroids, they were secretly sprinkled in his Wendy's frosty's
Diggler Says:
@DRizzal83
Comment of the day IMO. Cheers!
Wyatt Says:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
One Two Says:
With barnett out and Overeim out werdum fedor is the only fight that makes sense. and yes barnett you will be known as the kimbo who singlehandedly took down a fight promotion and ruined the best fights of the summer douchemove.
Chiggs Says:
Coming from the CSAC, for some reason this doesnt surprise me. Doesnt make any sense what so ever. Why the fack would he roid up for this bout and not the previous two? Probably naive for thinking its another fuckup on their part, but it just makes no sense at all. I say retest again an see what it brings or have the Nsac test the 1st sample again...Either way definetly spells the end of Afflictionif they werent already considering closing up shop. Hell lets jus say fuckit altogether an have Atencio sell off the figthers contracts back to the UFC so we can at least get one Fedor fight in the UFC...
Juice Says:
Josh Barnett... quite the boner killer.
Remsaa Says:
Goddamn it Josh WTF. I hope this is a false positive or he has lost all my respect forever.
Well we are running out of UFC champs for Fedor to fight. At least Tito is still looking for someone to fight.
Is greasing still greasing if its just lube and you have a (ex)pornstar wife? I guess it all depends on the gay foreplay afterwards.
Times Infinity Says:
Dana White is laughing in his green, money print robe right now. I can just see him with a million dollar bill, on fire up to the bulldog's face, looking at Brock across the room and saying "God I love being me".
The Truth Says:
Lashley would be great. I want those odds!!!
Deadpanda Says:
Does this remind anyone else of High School drama?
Dmonicideals Says:
HAHA Barnett is a CHUMP!!!! How are you going to pop positive a week before the biggest figt in your career. Had he won, or been mildly competitive, his stock would have flew through the roof, now he has hit rock bottom and will never fight in a legit promotion again. Any promotion looking for any credability wouldn't touch that douche with a 10ft pole.
As far as who will fight fedor instead.... well, unless there is someone out there who has been training their whole life for this moment, I don't believe that anyone will be stupid enough to take a fight on a weeks notice against Fedor. Unless.......... I wonder what would happen if a currently contracted UFC fighter were to "sneak" in and take the fight. Someone without much to lose by screwing the UFC, and already training for a fight........ Maybe, um, The Spider? With only 1-2 fights left on his contract, it wouldn't be THAT big of a hit to him financially, and wouldn't that be the fight that would put Affliction in the history books as putting together the BEST FIGHT OF ALL TIME?
Tom, just leave it as Fedor v. TBA until it is time for the ring walk. I do not think Dana would have time to get you shut down, if he would bother to watch, or have someone watch. Go on, throw a boatload of money at Anderson, enough to cover court costs when the UFC sues him, plus a lil more on the side, see if he jumps at the chance to fight the best fighter in the world.