Barnett KIlled Afflication, Whada Douche

[CS]

After promoting two critically acclaimed but financially disastrous mixed martial arts cards, Affliction on Friday first canceled its pay-per-view card scheduled for Aug. 1 and then opted to get out of the promotional business, Yahoo! Sports has learned.

The company and the Ultimate Fighting Championship are expected to release a statement sometime on Friday in which it is announced that Affliction will cease operations as a promoter and that its clothing division will become a UFC sponsor.

Affliction had a card slated for Aug. 1 with a main event of Fedor Emelianenko against former UFC champion Josh Barnett at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

But Barnett tested positive for an anabolic steroid and on Tuesday was denied a license to fight by the California State Athletic Commission.

That left Affliction scrambling to fight a replacement for Emelianenko. With no viable alternatives – the best was former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, who was already down to 195 pounds for a scheduled middleweight fight – Affliction early Friday opted to scrap the show.

Later in the day, Affliction came to terms on a deal in which it would quit promoting fight cards. However, the status of the fighter contracts belonging to Affliction is unknown.

They could revert to the UFC or they could become free agents, able to sign with the promoter of their choice.

Multiple sources had indicated to Yahoo! Sports that Affliction was on the verge of a deal with Strikeforce for some sort of merger, but that fell apart in the last 24-48 hours. That’s when talks began anew between White and Affliction. They had spoken earlier in July about such a scenario, but were unable to come to a deal.

Very interesting news, I never thought much of Affliction and just saw it as a delay for fighters from entering the UFC but the fact that the conracts are up in the air right now goes give me some worry, in no way do I want to see someone like Brett Rogers or Vitor Belfort get shipped off to WEC.

Then there's Fedor, who's slowly getting backed into a corner by the UFC if he still wants to get the big paydays and fight top level competition. I'm starting to think the only thing standing in front of Fedor is DW's mouth. Emelianenko stated that "the way in which that contract is offered, remains unacceptable to him". So what does Dana do?He goes on Steve Cofield's radio show to remind us exactly what Fedor was talking about. According to Dana, Fedor isn't any good, hasn't beaten anyone worth a damn in years, and is a fraud because he refuses to sign with the UFC. There, that should solve that perceived lack of respect issue.

This may be great for UFC fans and probably the sport as a whole, its better off without companys that have no idea what they're doing. I do feel bad for the fighters on the card though because I'm sure more than a couple were looking forward to a much needed paycheck.

[Heart Breaker]

Simply amazed that the company folded. I knew it was bound to happen, but I really thought 'Trilogy' was going to be it's last hoorah and then go out with a bang. But nope, Barnett fails a drug test, and the company knew it was in deep shit even with Barnett and Fedor main eventing. Losing that, really did cost them, but they were doomed from the get go. I believe Affliction was a decent promotion, but horribly mismanaged.

And CS, you won't have to worry about seeing fighters like Rogers and Vitor go to the WEC. The WEC now only has fighters from the 135, 145, and 155 weight classes. All the fighters 170 and up are now in the UFC. If you haven't noticed, that's why Carlos Condit, the WEC welterweight champion, is now with the UFC headlining fight nights.

[CS]

They have flyweight? I wasn't too sure about the WEC but assumed I could get away with not checking seeing as I don't notice you around here very often anymore, won't make that mistake again haha. Anyways we still have Strikeforce possible taking some,I'm still waiting for Robbie back in the UFC.

Thats gives me a bit more hope for Vitor then, he's the only guy in that division right now that I can see taking the title from Anderson and he has a very good chance of doing it. His bbj is on par with some of the best and don't even get me started on that mans boxing skills. The one advantage I fear Silva will try and take do is negate Vitor boxing skills by keeping it in the clinch while on the feet, your boy Randy did a job of that against him but I'm not sure how well Silva will be able to use it because when Randy fought Vitor he had the strength advantage but its flipped this time so who knows.

EDIT: Wait thats right I remember reading about that while dreaming of a Pierre Trigg rematch after I saw he's returning at 103, furthering my stupidity Rogers is under contract to SF isn't he?

Edited July 26, 2009 by CS

[Nemo]

their clothes are too expensive and their events are mediocre. fuck em.

also, im sick of hearing all this banter about fedor. he's a great fighter, but he's not god's gift to mma and certainly not the only fighter capable of drawing viewers. while it isnt the best way to do business, dana can get away with his "love it or leave it" attitude because he's controlling the biggest mma promotion in the country.

if fedor signs with the ufc, he's gonna have to do it on their terms, not his. which he wont. he'll go fight for dream and continue fading into obscurity until his name no longer carries the value it has now.

[CS]

Yeah its not like he's on a 26 fight win streak with only 1 of his last 7 fights leaving the first round or anything.

Edit: Alright 6 we won't count hong-man.

[Nemo]

why does that matter? it's an accomplishment, but it's irrelevant to the casual mma fan. god forbid he signs with the ufc, there will have to be all kinds of promo vids and lectures by joe rogan to explain who the fucking guy is.

old school mma fans have to face reality and realize that nobody gives a shit about pridefc anymore. those wins don't carry over. when you go to a different organization, the only wins that matter are the wins in that organization. especially when it's the ufc.

this is a petty example, but it proves the point. the event where rampage beat liddell (again) was titled UFC: Liddell vs. Jackson, not Liddell vs. Jackson II. they acknowledge the fact that it was a rematch, except it didn't matter enough to put it in the name because the first fight wasn't in the ufc. i'll bet you that the majority who ordered the ppv or bought tickets to the event hadn't seen the fight on a medium that wasn't youtube or at all.

if you still think his 26 consecutive wins means anything, brock lesnar is one of the biggest draws in mma since his first (ufc) fight which he fucking lost. so yeah. whatever.

[CS]

I'm sorry I thought you a little smarter than the "causal mma fan", thats why I used it as an example. it's just a personal preference that I want him in the UFC, I'm a fan of his so of course I want to see him there just like you wanted Wandy here to fight Chuck I want Fedor here to fight Randy foremost but I'm ok with him knocking out Brock too.

[Nemo]

you said nothing of the sort in your original post. i suggest you re-read it.

[CS]

I suggest you re-read my original post, I never give an opinion on Fedor, only Dana's.

[Nemo]

exactly. i dunno where you're getting this personal preference shit from. if you said you wanted to see fedor in the ufc, i wouldnt have given a shit.

fact of the matter is that fedor isnt as big a deal as he or his sympathizers think. imo, his best bet would be to sign a 1 or 2 fight deal with ufc. then when it's out in the open that this guy is an ass kicking machine (psarticularly if he beats lesnar decisively), he'll have more to bargain with other than his little-known reputation.

[CS]

Will you please move on from this "personal preference" problem, I really don't understand how its relevant at all. Do two words really bother you that much when they don't even alter my opinion whatsoever?

Its not the fact of a matter when using your opinion as the fact. Dana seems to disagree with you since he's already said that Fedor's first fight will be a title fight, strange that someone who isn't a fan of his is willing to give him a title shot in the ufc for his first fight when previous fights outside the UFC mean nothing according to you.

[Nemo]

your personal preference doesn't alter your opinion at all? interesting.

also, i never denied his abilities as a fighter, nor did i say dana didnt think highly of him. my entire point was that he needs the ufc more than the ufc needs him and that if he signs (rumor has it that the deal is finalized) it will be more so on the ufc's terms than his own.

[CS]

In general it can change my opinion I just meant that that whole post was based off my opinion so it wouldn't change the post having those two words in there, with or without it my post wouldn't change. Pretty sure we were talking about two different things.