The cancellation of its latest event was the result of headliner Josh Barnett (who was slated to fight famed heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko) losing his license after failing a drug test due to an anabolic steroid.
The event would go on, executives said.
But just 24 hours later, the company issued a statement saying it had reached a deal to return to the UFC as a sponsor and in turn would cease its fight-promotion business, which produced two hugely entertaining (but financially disastrous) shows over a one-year period.
The series of events leaves many unanswered questions, among them:
• Who gets Affliction’s fighter contracts? The UFC seems the likely benefactor, but UFC officials are tight-lipped. If the company secures Affliction’s roster, though, the world’s top organization is going to take its dominance to a whole new level.
• Why did Strikeforce lose out? Affliction reportedly was close to a merger with Strikeforce just days before the UFC deal went through. So why didn’t Strikeforce, a Showtime-backed promotion on the verge of a network-TV deal, pull the trigger?
• What happens to Emelianenko? At 30-1 with a 24-fight win streak, Emelianenko is the most dominant heavyweight in MMA history — and arguably the greatest fighter ever. Negotiations between the UFC and Emelianenko’s management have continually fizzled out, but could the UFC have possibly found a backdoor way to get him under contract?
• Could Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson II be scratched? Earlier this month, the UFC announced Franklin, a former UFC middleweight champion and West Chester Twp. resident, would get his rematch with Henderson, who won a close split-decision in their first meeting in January. The booking, set to headline UFC 103 on Sept. 19, was lambasted by fans. However, with the UFC already setting fight cards through December, Franklin vs. Henderson II was about the only main-event-worthy fight available.
An influx of Affliction fighters could give the UFC new options, such as Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort.
Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, a content partner site of Yahoo! Sports. For the latest mixed-martial-arts news, go to www.MMAjunkie.com.
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