venom33

this could get real interesting and we might be close to seeing the fights we want!!! 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.

dude weve beat the hell out of this dead horse... bottom line is neither truly need each other to be successful. really, the only thing the ufc can do for fedor is make him a more recognizable,household name in the US that inturn equals more money in the pockets of the ufc. they should turn their attention on bringing in overeem, who you know would wreck the ufc hw division! again i ask, how does this make the ufc hw division look when dana is saying he has to get someone from outside the company to give his champ a run? he has no faith in his fighters or his division? he should focus on the matchups he can make instead of the ones that are longshots!

i think this is where you and i differ...weve had this debate numerous times and i dont think either one of us will budge an inch. i dont think the hardcore fans will ever lose respect for him or what hes done! theres is no one in the ufc he needs to fight to solidify what hes done! i would love to see fedor in the ufc and i think it will eventually happen, but he doesnt NEED them and they dont NEED him, but for any ufc hw to be #1 in the world THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH FEDOR! hes beaten k1 champs, ufc champs(numerous times), pride champs, abu dhabi champs, wrestling champs, and held the pride belt for 6 years straight... if you think for a second he needs to fight 4-1 lesnar, 12-4 mir, or a few tuf winners to solidify anything youre nuts! just incase you forgot-- JMO ;D Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes Vitor Belfort Affliction: Trilogy 02009-08-01 August 1, 2009 Anaheim, California, United States Defending WAMMA Heavyweight Championship Win 30–1 (1) ArlovskiAndrei Arlovski KO (Punch) Affliction: Day of Reckoning 02009-01-24 January 24, 2009 1 3:14 Anaheim, California, United States Defended WAMMA Heavyweight Championship Win 29–1 (1) SylviaTim Sylvia Submission (rear naked choke) Affliction: Banned 02008-07-19 July 19, 2008 1 0:36 Anaheim, California, United States Won vacant WAMMA Heavyweight Championship Win 28–1 (1) ChoiHong-Man Choi Submission (armbar) Yarennoka! 02007-12-31 December 31, 2007 1 1:54 Saitama, Japan Win 27–1 (1) LindlandMatt Lindland Submission (armbar) BodogFight - Clash of the Nations 02007-04-14 April 14, 2007 1 2:58 St. Petersburg, Russia Win 26–1 (1) HuntMark Hunt Submission (kimura) Pride Shockwave 2006 02006-12-31 December 31, 2006 1 8:16 Saitama, Japan Defended Pride World Heavyweight Championship Win 25–1 (1) Coleman 2Mark Coleman Submission (armbar) Pride 32: The Real Deal 02006-10-21 October 21, 2006 2 1:16 Las Vegas, United States Win 24–1 (1) Melvin ManhoefZuluzinho Submission (strikes) Pride Shockwave 2005 02005-12-31 December 31, 2005 1 0:26 Saitama, Japan Win 23–1 (1) FilipovićMirko Filipović Decision (unanimous) Pride Final Conflict 2005 02005-08-28 August 28, 2005 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan Defended Pride World Heavyweight Championship Win 22–1 (1) Kohsaka 2Tsuyoshi Kohsaka TKO (doctor stoppage) Pride Bushido 6 02005-04-03 April 3, 2005 1 10:00 Yokohama, Japan Win 21–1 (1) Nogueira 3Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Decision (unanimous) Pride Shockwave 2004 02004-12-31 December 31, 2004 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan Defended Pride World Heavyweight Championship Won Pride 2004 HW GP zNC 20–1 (1) Nogueira 2Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira No contest (accidental headbutt) Pride Final Conflict 2004 02004-08-15 August 15, 2004 1 3:52 Saitama, Japan Pride 2004 HW GP Finals Win 20–1 OgawaNaoya Ogawa Submission (armbar) Pride Final Conflict 2004 02004-08-14 August 14, 2004August 15, 2004 1 0:54 Saitinokiama, Japan Pride 2004 HW GP Semifinals Win 19–1 RandlemanKevin Randleman Submission (kimura) Pride Critical Countdown 2004 02004-06-20 June 20, 2004 1 1:33 Saitama, Japan Pride 2004 HW GP Quarterfinals Win 18–1 Coleman 1Mark Coleman Submission (armbar) Pride Total Elimination 2004 02004-04-25 April 25, 2004 1 2:11 Saitama, Japan. Pride 2004 HW GP Opening Round Win 17–1 NagataYuji Nagata TKO (strikes) Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 02003-12-31 December 31, 2003 1 1:02 Kobe, Japan Win 16–1 GoodridgeGary Goodridge TKO (strikes) Pride Total Elimination 2003 02003-08-10 August 10, 2003 1 1:09 Saitama, Japan Win 15–1 FujitaKazuyuki Fujita Submission (rear naked choke) Pride 26: Bad to the Bone 02003-06-08 June 8, 2003 1 4:17 Tokyo, Japan Win 14–1 ValaviciusEgidijus Valavicius Submission (kimura) Rings Lithuania - Bushido Rings 7: Adrenalinas 02003-04-05 April 5, 2003 2 1:11 Vilnius, Lithuania Win 13–1 Nogueira 1Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Decision (unanimous) Pride 25: Body Blow 02003-03-16 March 16, 2003 3 5:00 Yokohama, Japan Won Pride World Heavyweight Championship Win 12–1 HerringHeath Herring TKO (doctor stoppage) Pride 23: Championship Chaos 2 02002-11-24 November 24, 2002 1 10:00 Tokyo, Japan Win 11–1 SchiltSemmy Schilt Decision (unanimous) Pride 21: Demolition 02002-06-23 June 23, 2002 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan Win 10–1 HasemanChris Haseman TKO (lost points) Rings - World Title Series Grand Final 02002-02-15 February 15, 2002 1 2:50 Yokohama, Japan Won Rings World Class Tournament Win 9–1 HasdellLee Hasdell Submission (guillotine choke) Rings - World Title Series 5 02001-12-21 December 21, 2001 1 4:10 Yokohama, Japan Win 8–1 YanagisawaRyushi Yanagisawa Decision (unanimous) Rings - World Title Series 4 02001-10-20 October 20, 2001 3 5:00 Tokyo, Japan Win 7–1 SobralRenato Sobral Decision (unanimous) Rings - 10th Anniversary 02001-08-11 August 11, 2001 2 5:00 Tokyo, Japan Win 6–1 SchallKerry Schall Submission (armbar) Rings - World Title Series 1 02001-04-20 April 20, 2001 1 1:47 Tokyo, Japan Win 5–1 ApostolovMihail Apostolov Submission (rear naked choke) Rings Russia - Russia vs. Bulgaria 02001-04-06 April 6, 2001 1 1:03 Yekaterinburg, Russia Loss 4–1 Kohsaka 1Tsuyoshi Kohsaka TKO (cut) Rings - King of Kings 2000 Block B 02000-12-22 December 22, 2000 1 0:17 Osaka, Japan Win 4–0 AronaRicardo Arona Decision (unanimous) Rings - King of Kings 2000 Block B 02000-12-21 December 21, 2000December 22, 2000 3 5:00 Osaka, Japan Win 3–0 TakadaHiroya Takada KO (strikes) Rings - Battle Genesis Vol. 6 02000-09-05 September 5, 2000 1 0:12 Tokyo, Japan Win 2–0 LagvilavaLevon Lagvilava Submission (rear naked choke) Rings - Russia vs. Georgia 02000-08-16 August 16, 2000 1 7:24 Tula, Russia Win 1–0 LazarovMartin Lazarov Submission (guillotine choke) Rings - Russia vs. Bulgaria 02000-05-21 May 21, 2000 1 2:24 Ekaterinburg, Russia Championships and accomplishments Mixed martial arts Status Date Championship Weight Location Champion July 19, 2008 - present WAMMA World Heavyweight Championship Heavyweight Anaheim, California, USA Champion March 16, 2003 - c. March 2007 Pride World Heavyweight Championship[70] Heavyweight Yokohama, Japan Winner 2004 Pride Grand Prix Tournament Heavyweight Saitama, Japan Winner 2002 Rings Kings of Kings Tournament Open Weight Yokohama, Japan Winner 2001 Rings World Class Tournament[71] Heavyweight Yokohama, Japan Judo Status Date Championship Weight Location 7th April 1, 2000 Dutch Grand Prix[72] 100 kg (220 lb) Rotterdam, Netherlands 3rd February 7, 1999 Sofia Liberation A-Team[72] 100 kg (220 lb) Sofia, Bulgaria 3rd January 24, 1999 Moscow International Tournament[72] 100 kg (220 lb) Moscow, Russia 3rd December 5, 1998 Russian National Championships[72] Open weight Kstovo, Russia Winner 1997 Russian National Championships[73] 100 kg (220 lb) Kursk, Russia Sambo This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. Status Date Championship Weight Location Winner 2009 Russian Combat Sambo Championship[25] 100 kg (220 lb)+ Kstovo, Russia 3rd 2008 World Combat Sambo Championships[74] Open weight Prague, Czech Republic Winner 2008 Russian Combat Sambo Championship[75] 100 kg (220 lb)+ St. Petersburg, Russia Winner 2007 World Combat Sambo Championships[23] Open weight Prague, Czech Republic Winner 2007 Russian Combat Sambo Championships[76] ? Buryat Republic, Russia Winner 2006 Russian Combat Sambo Championships[76] ? Buryat Republic, Russia Winner 2005 World Combat Sambo Championships Heavyweight Prague, Czech Republic Winner 2002 World Combat Sambo Championships[1] Open weight Panama City, Panama Winner 2002 World Combat Sambo Championships[1] Heavyweight Thessaloniki, Greece Winner 2002 Russian Combat Sambo Championships[1] ? Moscow, Russia 3rd 2000 Russian Combat Sambo Championships[10] ? Orenburg, Russia Winner 1998 Russian Armed Forces Combat Sambo Championships[10] ? Russia 2nd 1998 Russian Armed Forces Combat Sambo Championships[10] Open weight Russia 3rd 1998 Russian Combat Sambo Championships[10] ? Kaliningrad, Russia Winner 1997 European Combat Sambo Championships[9] ? Tbilisi, Georgia Winner 1997 Russian Combat Sambo Championships[73] ? St. Petersburg, Russia

i really dont think "balls" have anything to do with it...c'mon now baseball! i think we will see a "super card" with strike force or something in the VERY near future! you have alot of fighters who've been training for a while for a fight on 8/1 and these guys are now out of a job. i hope something good comes out of this. also, i think gegard mousassi(sp?) and santiago would be a good pickups! fedor said--“Josh is a great, strong fighter. I've always followed his fights and liked him as a competitor and as a person. I was very prepared, totally ready for a good, hard fight. But,†he said, pausing for a few seconds, “what can you do? I am disappointed, though I'm glad that after all I don't have to fight a friend.†This was followed by genuine laughter, which is not something that I've seen a lot of from the camp in the last day. Fedor was optimistic about speaking to Barnett. "We haven't had a chance to speak to him yet, though I really want to,†he said. “And once we do speak, most probably we will not discuss what has happened in the last day." He said this with a concern that seemed directed at the well being of Barnett, almost out of worry for him, rather than out of any animosity, though nobody would have faulted Fedor for being angry with Barnett.

yep... this frees up alot of talent! i knew they would never surpass the ufc(company) but it was nice to be able to watch another fight card with totally different fighters between ufc ppv's. affliction brought a few fighters to the states that alot of the tuf fans didnt know existed.

What would you recommend, maybe Booker T & The Undertaker? For a free event to the US, I think it's a good fight. I'd love to see Bisping KO'd twice in a row! ;D OHHHHH SNAP!!! ;D

as a fan i care.... its a fight i would like to see and could/should be very entertaining.

that would make two total destructions in a row for bisping!

Wanderlei Silva's (32-10-1 MMA, 2-5 UFC) first contest in the middleweight division will likely take place at UFC 105 in November. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the event that Silva is currently in negotiations to face Michael Bisping (17-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in the main event of the Spike TV-broadcast event. While bout agreements have not yet been distributed, company officials are hoping to officially announce the contest as soon as next week. UFC 105 takes place at Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England. The card airs in the U.S. on same-day tape delay. The bout will be Silva's first in the middleweight division after spending the majority of his legendary career competing at over 200 pounds. "The Axe Murderer" made the first step toward the 185-pond limit in June, dropping a unanimous decision to Rich Franklin in a catchweight bout at 195 pounds. While Silva remains a worldwide fan-favorite, the 33-year-old has earned just one victory in his past six contests. Bisping will be looking to rebound from a devastating knockout loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 earlier this month. The defeat, was just the second in Bisping's MMA, career, and it ended a three-fight win streak for "The Ultimate Fighter 3" winner. As first reported by MMAjunkie.com, Dan Hardy, James Wilks and Ross Pearson are also expected to compete on the UFC 105 card.

With Josh Barnett pulled from the Aug. 1 "Affliction: Trilogy" card, Fedor Emelianenko's manager, Vadim Finkelchtein, wants his client to fight Strikeforce heavyweight Brett Rogers instead. Emelianenko himself doesn't really care which opponent he ends up fighting. The duo appeared earlier today at a press conference in Moscow to discuss Emelianenko's upcoming fight and even the possibility of the Russian fighter signing with the UFC. Barnett was pulled from "Trilogy" card on Wednesday after failing a drug test. The test, which was part of Barnett's license renewal in the state of California, detected metabolites from an anabolic steroid. Since Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio confirmed the failed test and Barnett's removal from the card, a host of potential replacements has been discussed. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported on Wednesday that middleweight Vitor Belfort had agreed to the fight and was working on financial terms of the deal. A Strikeforce official told MMAjunkie.com that their heavyweights, Fabricio Werdum (scheduled to fight on Aug. 15) and Rogers, will not be made available. However, Rogers is the guy Finkelchtein wants. "Everyone in the world now wants to see the fight of Fedor, not Barnett," Finkelchtein said (via M-1Global.com). "People want to see Fedor fight. Belfort can make heavyweight, but the fans don't want this fight. Fedor isn't seeking an easy fight. If logistics weren't an issue, we'd like to see Fedor fight against Brett Rogers. Fans want it, (and) so do we.†As for Emelianenko, he's willing to fight anyone. "I feel disappointed about this situation," he said. "But I will fight anyone who Affliction puts in front of me. I know a lot of fans waited for this fight to happen, and I am sorry for them. I can't do much about it now, but I am in good shape. My training has been good and continues to go well." Finkelchtein, who confirmed Belfort had agreed to the fight in principle, said an official announcement regarding the eventual choice of opponent should be made today. Fedor to the UFC? During the press conference, Finkelchtein also addressed speculation about Emelianenko possibly joining the UFC's roster of heavyweights. After UFC 100, UFC president Dana White spoke definitively and said Emelianenko would soon be fighting for his organization. Finkelchtein said his client can fight anywhere, but he again hinted the UFC's contract demands are too restrictive, which is the same issue that's kept a deal from coming to fruition countless times in the past. "We are open to any offer," Finkelchtein said. "The issue really is with the UFC, not with us. We are ready to fight the UFC champions." However, the M-1 Global owner and president cautioned that the UFC isn't the end all and be all for heavyweight talent. "The UFC's roster is occupied by a vast majority of American athletes," Finkelchtein said. "Not every single best fighter is under their banner, so don't believe the hype. There is no real international diversity that's anywhere close to what we're doing with our M-1 Challenge concept."

Other than agreeing in principle, is that announced yet? i dont think its a done deal yet, theyre still saying rodgers,buentello(sp?),tito,ken shamrock ,or monson may be possible. If they get Tito, Ken or Monson, that would be a joke fight for Fedor. Tito needs at least one good fight to see where he is after such a long lay off & Shamrock, he should be chillin' at a school somewhere training upcomers. Vitor could be a challenge, still think Rodgers would give the most trouble though. Just read this on MMAWeekly: So far, the leading candidate to face Emelianenko appears to be Vitor Belfort, who would vacate his main card slot against Jorge Santiago to headline against the heavier Russian. According to Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports, Affliction representatives are offering a $500,000 purse to the eventual replacement for Barnett. rodgers is officially out... monson wouldnt be a bad fight, it would atleast be and awesome grappling matchup! the replacement will have a nice payday, i just hope they find a hw to fill in.

Other than agreeing in principle, is that announced yet? i dont think its a done deal yet, theyre still saying rodgers,buentello(sp?),tito,ken shamrock ,or monson may be possible.

like i said, belfort is quick and has ko power but moving up two weight classes to take on fedor is tough. then again, fedor has been training for a BIG,slow wrestler in barnett and belfort is a quick southpaw... should be a good fight but i see fedor subbing him in the 2nd.

ok, heres an idea i got from another forum and it makes a little sense---Think about it..Iceman must walk at 220lbs or more. Dana would be able to save Vitor from being fed to Fedor and set up the Anderson Silva fight which he already said he wants. (Wont work if Vitor gets destroyed by Fedor). If Iceman won then Dana would be smiling for weeks and if he loses, Dana would say he already said Chuck should retire. Plus the fight would sell..Lidell already said in the past he wants to fight Fedor. if fedor beats belfort, so what, hes a middle weight who took the fight with the greatest hw in history on short notice,BUT belfort is fast and has one punch ko power and it is mma and anything can happen.

ummmmmmmm, you're a little late with those picks!

belfort vs. fedor??? could be interesting!

FEDOR! is anyone else fighting?

ME TOO!!! ;D

im just happy that my name is mentioned in the same paragraph as the greatest hw of all time! im a huge fan of the ufc and have been since ufc1, all ive ever said is that there are a number of fighters in the world that are great who arent under the ufc umberella. the ufc is the #1 mma company by far,no doubt, but there are alot of fighters out there that arent under contract with them who deserve a ton of respect. also, has anyone seen the recent video with rampage and king mo(do some research newbies) getting into a verbal brawl? youtube it, its pretty funny!

could you imagine all of us in a room watching mma.... baseball, where do you coach?

baseball, you made a good point but you used "dont hate the player hate the game!" :'( you had to dust that off before you used it! as for the fights, i really thought hendo decapitated bisping!

best post in a loooong time! thank you!

easy!!! >

with overeem,barnett,rogers,crocop(healthy),carwin,cain,lesnar,fedor,kimbo,etc,etc we as fans should be in for some "superfights" on the horizon! i just hope everything works out and the fans get the fights they want to see.

Long time fans of the sport will know who he is, newbies do some homework! could be interesting if it works out for him. Pride FC legend and Ukrainian berzerker, Igor Vovchanchyn (47-9-1) will, reportedly make a return to mixed martial arts competition at the Fighting Mixed Combative, which is the upstart South Korean promotion’s sophomore event on Sept. 29, 2009, according to our friends over at Nightmare of Battle. No possible opponent has been named at this time. This comes as surprising news, seeing how one year ago Vovchanchyn seemed to be completely against the idea of a return to mixed martial arts: “I’m a businessman now. I won’t come back. Sure I think about it every once in a while, but I’m 35, you know. The main problem is the injuries. I can’t even strike with my right hand. I got three screws in my right elbow and one in the left. I’m about to undergo an operation on my nose as I can’t breathe right. To sum things up, there is no sense in my comeback.†Has time has healed old wounds? Perhaps his return is purely financially motivated. Or maybe he just couldn’t resist one last swan song to go out on a high note. Either way, it’s hard to imagine “Ice Cold†returning to the fighting form that once made him one of the most feared strikers in mixed martial arts. Besides the nagging injuries he’s complained of in the past, he’s coming off a long layoff, having not competed since August of 2005, which was a unanimous decision loss to Judoka Kazuhiro Nakamura (13-9) at Pride: “Final Conflict 2005.“