"Ready, willing, able" Fedor Emelianenko last to know Affliction canceled, returning "ASAP"

"Ready, willing, able" Fedor Emelianenko last to know Affliction canceled, returning "ASAP"
by Dann Stupp on Jul 25, 2009 at 9:58 am ET



Would-be "Affliction: Trilogy" headliner Fedor Emelianenko was one of the final people to learn the event had been canceled on Friday.

M-1 Global, co-promoter of the Aug. 1 event, issued a statement today claiming the world's top-ranked heavyweight was "ready, willing, and able" to fight whoever the company found to replace Josh Barnett, who was denied a license after the California State Athletic Commission claimed he failed a drug test due to an anabolic steroid earlier this week.

Emelianenko and more than 35 other M-1 officials and camp members were en route to Anaheim, Calif., the event site, on Friday and didn't learn of the cancellation until arriving at the airport.

According to the statement, Emelianenko, a former PRIDE champion who owns a 26-fight win streak, will fight again soon.

"M-1 Global understands and shares the disappointment being expressed by many fans that Fedor will not be able to compete on Aug. 1 as scheduled," the statement read. "However, we will work to ensure that Fedor returns to active competition as soon as possible."

According to the statement, M-1's debut show in its premium fight series, "M-1: Breakthrough" at the Los Angeles Convention Center (Aug. 28), "will look to help fill the void" left by the "Trilogy" cancellation. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported on Friday that M-1 may try to secure some "Trilogy" fighters for the "Breakthrough" card, though Emelianenko is unlikely to be one of them.

However, it's unknown if Affliction's fighter contracts have been picked up by the UFC, which announced with Affliction on Friday that the former partners had reconciled. Affliction was formerly a sponsor of the UFC, but they were banned from the company in 2008 after officially announcing plans to promote its own shows. However, on Friday, Affliction and the UFC announced that the clothing company will cease promoting shows and in exchange will be an official UFC sponsor once again. (UFC president Dana White will not confirm if the fighter contracts are part of the deal.)

Emelianenko and his manager, M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein, are expected to issue additional statements soon.