Vitor Belfort replaces Barnett

[Move BRICKS™]

Surely they could have found a better solution than Belfort gaining 20+lbs and putting everything all the effort of making a great comeback on the line.

[Drunken Cat]

Surely they could have found a better solution than Belfort gaining 20+lbs and putting everything all the effort of making a great comeback on the line.

At least if he loses it shouldn't effect his standings in the lower weights..

[yeks]

What a total sham. Fedor cant feel good about this new opponent.
There must be someone else they can find.......

i definitely agree.. though fedor is not as big as the brocks and sylvias out there, the size disparity is obvious..

i want to see vitor against the spider himself, not against current best heavyweight who is still at the peak of his game..

[Blair_Wells#32]

Jeff Monsons' names in the mix he says on mmajunkie.com , i'd much rather see Monson vs Fedor then Vitor fight above his weight.

[Drunken Cat]

i definitely agree.. though fedor is not as big as the brocks and sylvias out there, the size disparity is obvious..

i want to see vitor against the spider himself, not against current best heavyweight who is still at the peak of his game..

Yeah, I was really looking forward to Fedor-Barnett. This matchup does nothing for me.

[Drunken Cat]

Jeff Monsons' names in the mix he says on mmajunkie.com , i'd much rather see Monson vs Fedor then Vitor fight above his weight.

That would be a much better option. Munson's submission game against Fedor's sambo would be interesting to witness.

[yeks]

That would be a much better option. Munson's submission game against Fedor's sambo would be interesting to witness.

much better in every sense..

[Drunken Cat]

JEFF MONSON THROWS HIS NAME IN TO FIGHT FEDOR

The race is still going as to who will fill in for Josh Barnett on Aug. 1 to face the top heavyweight fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, and another name has been thrown in the hat as American Top Team fighter Jeff Monson has once again issued a challenge to fight the Russian champion.

Monson, who has vied for a shot at Fedor on several occasions, commented on the situation to MMAWeekly.com late on Wednesday evening.

"I'm the guy to beat Fedor. He's a great fighter. I'd definitely love to see me fight Fedor. It's a perfect match-up. He's the guy I'm destined to fight," Monson said. "I want to be the guy to beat him. I'd definitely love to be carried off afterward, after I submit him. My goal is to be the best in the world, even if it's for one fight."

There have been rumors for years that a Monson/Fedor match-up would be made, but the bout has never come to fruition.

The leading candidate to take on the fight with Fedor Emelianenko right now still appears to be former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, who was scheduled to fight at 185 pounds on the Affliction card against Jorge Santiago.

Still Monson and his team have made contact with Affliction to see about getting their fighter the shot.

Jessy Evans, Monson's agent, says that it's a fight that her fighter has been destined to fight for years, and the calls to Tom Atencio and Affliction have already been made.

No official announcement about the replacement has been made by Affliction as of yet. Stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com for more information on this story as it becomes available.

..........

[Drunken Cat]

SIGHTS ZERO ON BELFORT; FEDOR WILL FIGHT ANYONE
Thursday, July 23, 2009 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com
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With Josh Barnett’s recent license denial in California due to an alleged positive pre-fight drug test result, which indicated anabolic steroids in his system, the race has been on to find a replacement to face the No. 1 heavyweight fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, at Affliction “Trilogy.”

Fighters have come out of the woodwork to be considered. Fighters from Brett Rogers to Jeff Monson to Don Frye to Tom Erickson have all indicated their desire to face Fedor.

“I have everyone under the sun saying they have the next person that can beat (Fedor),” said Affliction vice president Tom Atencio.

Initial speculation centered on Vitor Belfort and Bobby Lashley as possibilities, with Belfort quickly becoming the frontrunner. Numerous sources indicate that Belfort has agreed to the fight and it is just coming down to final negotiations.

“By the end of the evening we expect to officially announce who’ll be the replacement for Barnett,” state Vadim Finkelchtein, who owns M-1 Global and manages Fedor. “Vitor Belfort agreed to come in principle.”

While Finkelchtein’s comments seem to further solidify that Belfort is the man to replace Barnett as long as the details can be worked out, but Atencio has steadfastly maintained, “Negotiations or negotiations and until I get the contract, nothing is done. Until you hear it from me, until I have a contract signed, they’re all rumors.”

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio on Thursday told MMAWeekly.com that Fedor’s new opponent would be announced on Friday.

He obviously would like to know who he is fighting on Aug. 1 as soon as possible, but the shake-up in opponents has done little to deter Fedor.

“I feel disappointed about this situation,” he said, before adding, “But I will fight anyone who Affliction puts in front of me.”

An interesting side note that surfaced at a Thursday press conference with Russian media held by Fedor and Finkelchtein is that Fedor’s U.S. promotional rights no longer belong to Affliction following his “Trilogy” bout. He, of course, remains under a management contract with M-1 Global, but would presumably be free to fight for other U.S. promotions.

Before the rumor mill hits full tilt, however, Finkelchtein wasn’t optimistic that Fedor would step into the UFC’s Octagon any time soon.

“We are open to any offer. The issue really is with the UFC, not with us. We are ready to fight the UFC champions,” he said, but hastened to add, “Randy Couture left the UFC in order to get the opportunity of fighting Fedor. Then the UFC sidelined him and litigation ensued. We want to negotiate and cooperate with the UFC but it seems as though they are not ready.”

..........

[Drunken Cat]

JOSH BARNETT ISSUES STATEMENT ON DRUG TEST
Thursday, July 23, 2009 - by MMAWeekly.com Staff
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Number two ranked heavyweight Josh Barnett has remained silent since the California State Athletic Commission denied him a license to fight Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction "Trilogy" on Aug. 1. The denial was brought after a pre-fight drug test revealed the presence of a banned performance enhancer.

MMAWeekly was scheduled to shoot training footage and a video interview of Barnett on Wednesday, and aired an interview taken prior to the controversy on MMAWeekly radio the same day.

When news of the license denial broke, Barnett's manager, Shannon Hooper, canceled the interview and said interviews would be granted after working with the commission on the issue.

However, early Thursday morning, Barnett issued a blog posting on his official Myspace account responding to the situation.

"Many of you are wondering what's happening," he wrote. "What I can say is that when applying for my license, the CSAC asked for me to submit a urine sample for testing prior to granting my license as they do with everyone, I believe. It was not a random test. I had no reason to believe there would be any issues and went in to submit my sample at the earliest possible opportunity on June 25th. I never once thought there would be a problem.

"My representatives and I are working to gather as much info as possible and handle this situation as best as we can. I am embarrassed and want for nothing more than to resolve this issue and receive a license from the State of California as I have done many times already and for other states as well.

I am very thankful for all the great family, friends and fans that still support me."

..........