However, it appears neither will be the case, as Barnett will in fact fight one more time for Strikeforce before addressing his future beyond the promotion.

According to a report from USA Today citing Zuffa officials, Strikeforce has opted to keep Barnett around for a single scrap similarly to Cormier’s handling. Considering Barnett and Cormier are the final two heavyweights signed to Strikeforce the news also indicates talent will be brought in from outside the organization.

Barnett’s loss to Cormier snapped an eight-fight winning streak for the 34-year old. The 31-6 veteran is considered to be Top 5 talent and holds past victories over a number of notable competitors including Sergei Kharitonov, Jeff Monson, Randy Couture, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Currently Barnett is out for an undetermined period of time up to six months after breaking his hand in the opening round of action against Cormier.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Comparably, Cormier earned $100,000 including a $50,000 win bonus, while Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez took home $175,000.

The figures were confirmed by MMAWeekly with the California State Athletic Commission.

Read below for a full rundown of salary information:

• Daniel Cormier: $100,000 (includes $ 50,000 win bonus)
• Josh Barnett: $200,000
• Gilbert Melendez: $ 175,000 (no win bonus)
• Josh Thomson: $90,000
• Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante: $66,000 (includes $33,000 win bonus)
• Mike Kyle: $25,000
• Chris Spang: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
• Nah-Shon Burrell: $7,000
• Isaac Vallie–Flagg: $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus)
• Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante: $18,000
• Carlos Inocente: $4,000 (includes $2,000 win bonus)
• Virgil Zwicker: $3,000
• Gian Villante: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
• Derrick Mehman: $3,000
• Quinn Mulhern: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
• Yuri Villefort: $2,500
• Bobby Green: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
• James Terry: $9,000

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Also set to mix it up on the May 19 card, lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez will defend his belt against friendly rival Josh Thomson on the Showtime broadcast. The 20-2 Melendez is considered to be one of the Top 3 155ers in MMA but split his previous two pairings with Thomson (19-4).

All four men will field questions from media members this afternoon at 2:00 PM EST as part of a conference call promoting the event with Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker also contributing to the festivities. As usual, Five Ounces of Pain will be on the line as things unfold while reporting highlights back to readers as they unfold in real time.

Read below for a breakdown of information/soundbytes from the call:

Josh Barnett

- Hasn’t thought about what he’ll do beyond his fight with Cormier
- Believes his experience is a big advantage over Cormier but respects Cormier’s Olympic background / Calls it an “equalizer”
- Been staying busy in the gym while waiting for Cormier

Daniel Cormier

- Not interested in thinking 7-8 months down the road with a guy like Barnett in front of him
- Has seen improvement in his striking since being out

Josh Thomson

- Says he thought Pat Healy would get a shot at the belt before him, especially after his performance against KJ Noons
- Cut down on his workout routine to keep from overtraining
- Thinks Melendez took the first loss a little personally but squashed the issue with him and says they’re cool now
- Doesn’t care about Melendez’s comments about him not being “top talent”, says he was hard on himself after his last fight so he understands the criticism

Gilbert Melendez

- Calls Thomson a “tough guy” and likes the idea of fighting in a “battle of NorCal”
- Wants big names because that’s part of the business
- Was touched by Nate Diaz’s shout out after his UFC on FOX 3 / “That’s family right there.”

Scott Coker

- Winner of heavyweight tournament is still expected to fight one more time in Strikeforce
- No plans to return to Las Vegas
- A belt has been created for the winner of Barnett-Cormier

While Barnett’s success is impressive to most it doesn’t surprise the 31-5 veteran who knew from an early age that a life based around some form of fighting was always his destiny.

“Even when I was a little child I fought kids that were older, that were bigger. I never quit. Even if someone got the best of me I didn’t stop and they ended up quitting. I don’t care how many licks you get in on me, I will get mine,” said Barnett in a recent interview with Showtime promoting his upcoming bout against Daniel Cormier. “That was just a mentality that most people didn’t possess, plus I have a mean streak that a lot of people didn’t have either.”

“I love what I do for a living and I don’t want to do anything else,” Barnett continued. “I meant to be a fighter. If MMA wasn’t around maybe I’d be a boxer, maybe I’d be in the military, but I was meant for combat.”

Barnett said his introduction to MMA came in high school when he saw UFC 2 and, after a few funny pit-stops, ended up fighting professional at the urging of a former coach. Barnett was hooked and the rest is history.

Check out the full interview below including footage of Barnett’s formative years:

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Barnett’s positive hit sent Affliction’s attempt at promoting MMA events into a nosedive as the company had been promoting a fight between “The Warmaster” and Fedor Emelianenko.

The PRIDE veteran’s next fight is set for May 19 against Daniel Cormier in the final of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. A location has not been set for their bout but clearly the card appears destined for California with San Jose, the organization’s home-base, being attached to the card.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Strikeforce announced the match-up during last night’s broadcast of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey.

Cormier earned his slot after outpointing Jeff Monson last June, then being offered an opportunity to replace the since-departed Alistair Overeem in the tournament’s field. The 9-0 former Olympian took advantage of the situation by knocking out Antonio Silva in the opening round of their semifinal scrap. However, he suffered a broken hand in the fight and has been sidelined ever since.

Though Barnett may not be undefeated he’s emerged with his hand raised the last eight times he’s fought including wins over Monson, Pedro Rizzo, and Gilbert Yvel, as well as Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov in Grand Prix pairings. The affable veteran holds an overall record of 31-5 with three of his losses coming to Mirko Filipovic during the Croatian’s prime in PRIDE.

No other fights were revealed for the upcoming card.

Check out a preview of the upcoming bout below:

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

With the close of the year, Five Ounces of Pain is here to bring you our annual awards as we wind things down and get read for the adventures 2011 will undoubtedly bring. Over the next few days we will announce our winners in somewhat unique categories with a final batch of standard distinctions handed out on Friday, December 31.

As always, 5 Oz. invites our readers to offer their own opinions in the “Comments” section on who should have taken home the hardware (or in this case digital love). We would not be here without you, and rest assured the Staff not only appreciates your contributions from a “page view” standpoint, but genuinely enjoys reading our community’s take on topics. Have an incredibly fun, albeit safe, holiday week!

— The “Sometimes These Things Happen in MMA” Award —

Josh Barnett kicks “Mighty Mo” in the groin: In his first fight since being busted for steroids and effectively killing Affliction MMA, Josh Barnett took on a “gimme fight” against near 300 pound kickboxer “Mighty Mo” Siliga. In the middle of the bout, Barnett caught Mo with a front kick right to the groin, immediately dropping Mo to the mat. Usually when a fighter is hit in the groin, he is given five minute to recover. Well Mo was given about an hour before the fight was questionable resumed. Barnett quickly finished Mo and after the bout, proving he’s a fair man, Barnett allowed Mo to knee him in the groin. Now on every DREAM broadcast, when someone takes a strike to the groin, you often hear Michael Schiavello bring up “Mighty Mo’s balls” in reference to Barnett’s strike.

— Most Disappointing Moment of the Year —

Paul Daley vs. Josh Koscheck / Post-Fight: Though there was debate as far as going with Fedor Emelianenko finally losing in a clean manner, in retrospect the loss is more of an affirmation of why MMA is such a great sport rather than a particularly sad event. There were also, unfortunately, illegal acts and positive drug tests to consider as well. However, Paul Daley sucker-punching Josh Koscheck after their bout at UFC 113 won out as the final selection for a few reasons, the foremost being that it didn’t land clean.

Kidding, kidding.

To watch the explosive Brit likely throw away a career in the UFC because of something as small as frustration with Koscheck’s strategy was extremely disappointing. Not only is Daley an exciting fighter to watch perform, but he’s one of the most underrated hype-men in Mixed Martial Arts when it comes to promoting his match-ups to the media. His style and showmanship would have likely carried him a long way in the Octagon and now not only have fans lost out on the opportunity to see him in action against the world’s best welterweights, Daley flushed a significant future down the toilet for no real reason. The embarrassing post-fight shot also put a black-eye on MMA as far as creating the perception its participants are upon occasion uncontrollably violent even on the grandest stage in the sport. The public can generally stomach athletes breaking laws or doing drugs because they’re used to such transgressions but violence outside of the realm of competition is rarely tolerated. It was a shameful situation where nobody won outside of “Kos” on the judges’ scorecards.

— Best Performance in a Losing Role —

Chael Sonnen / UFC 117: Given the events that unfolded in the months after it happened it was tempting to give this award to someone else, but even we can’t deny that nobody deserves this distinction more than Chael Sonnen. He talked a big game leading up to his UFC Middleweight Championship fight with Anderson Silva, but hardly anybody figured that he would be able to back up that talk in the cage. Sonnen got the better of Silva on the feet, but the majority of his time was spent thoroughly dominating the champion on the mat. Silva had no answer for Sonnen’s takedowns, and as the rounds went by he had less and less time to save his title reign. Within the first few minutes of the fifth round it was all but over, as Sonnen was clearly on his way to a unanimous 50-45 decision win. Everyone saw what happened next but we cannot deny that Sonnen came closer to beating Silva than anybody else had done in the UFC. Had he not got popped for a banned substance he’d be on his way to an immediate rematch, something relatively unheard of for a challenger who definitively lost his first title shot. With his performance Sonnen established himself as the clear #2 fighter in the middleweight division, and he may very well be top dog by the time next year’s awards roll around.

PHOTO CREDIT – Tracy Lee / COMBAT LIFESTYLE

News of the potential tournament was reported by Tatame, who also explained Strikeforce would be planning to promote at least part of the process on PPV. However, Five Ounces of Pain contacted Strikeforce representative Mike Afromowitz who clarified the official situation, saying, “The news being circulated about this tournament is just rumors.” Clearly, as enticing as it sounds to see, the aforementioned scenario’s actual occurrence is by no means set in stone at this point in time.

Also affecting the likelihood of rumor becoming reality are ongoing negotiations with Fedor’s camp. Though the status of Emelianenko’s contract extension is still up in the air, if he does indeed add to his present deal and throw his name in the alleged group he will bring valuable experience with him into the bracket. The highly-ranked Russian was the winner of PRIDE’s 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix with wins over Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman and dual victories on the same night against Naoya Ogawa and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the final.

Given Strikeforce’s current roster, if the Grand Prix were to take place, it seems other entrants are likely to include any or all of the company’s top heavyweights like Andrei Arlovski, Antonio Silva, Sergei Kharitonov, and Brett Rogers.

PHOTO CREDIT – Susumu Nagao

—

Josh Barnett appeared before the California State Athletic Commission on Thursday without counsel and attempted to apply for a new license to fight in the State under the hopeful presumption that his license had expired as a year has passed since he was denied renewal; that he would simply need begin a new license application process, more or less “starting from scratch”. Barnett’s angle was that for his “new” license he would provide new paperwork and a fresh sample for any necessary screening for performance enhancing drugs.

However, the commission went on to advise Strikeforce‘s Barnett that his 2009 positive PED test would not be overlooked and proof of “rehabilitation” since the failed test would be necessary for the granting of a new license to be considered, as would a CSAC hearing where a series of probing questions would be asked. Ultimately, the affable heavyweight was granted a continuance until the next CSAC hearing and any hopes of avoiding an appeal-esque hearing were dashed. Barnett will have to seek counsel for representation at the future meeting. During the proceeding Barnett referred to being “caught off-guard” by the entire process, as he had only planned to reapply and not prepared to testify under oath. At times the CSAC group seemed a bit confused as too, at points questioning each other on what exactly Barnett was attempting to do or what his actual status in California was.

Also on the CSAC’s “main card”, UFC 185-pound contender Chael Sonnen approached the December 2 hearing in far different fashion than did Barnett, appearing alongside a long-winded attorney, his counsel’s sidekick, and a gum-chewing, T-Shirt-wearing, doctor. The dog-and-pony show that unfolded must be seen to be believed, as in the end, Sonnen’s yearlong suspension was decreased to six months with the $2,500 fine being upheld. Sonnen will be given credit for “time served” towards the suspension which will keep the embattled fighter/politician out of MMA action until March 2.

Here is CSAC-issued video of Thursday’s hearing:

Dana White Discusses his Initial Meeting with Fedor Emelianenko (Versus.com)

UFC and THQ Extend Partnership for “Undisputed” Title (MMAConvert.com)

Martin Kampmann is Ready to Expose Jake Shields in the Ring (Heavy.com)

Claude Patrick Not Happy with UFC 120 Win (FIGHT! Magazine)

Joe Rogan Does His Best Mauro Renallo Impersonation (MMAScraps.com)

Mike Pyle Talks About Handing John Hatahway his First Career Loss (WatchKalibRun.com)

Chris Horodecki Could Be Fighting Donald Cerrone at WEC 53 (CagePotato.com)

Josh Barnett has a Message for Fabricio Werdum (MiddleEasy.com)

Tito Ortiz Talks Health, No Longer Drinking (MMAFighting.com)

Ariel Helwani Interviews Dana White in England After Oxford Address (MMAFighting.com)

Bobby Lashley Surprises Strikeforce Officials with Decision to Fight Outside Organization this December (MiddleEasy.com)

Frank Shamrock Cuts a Promo for EA Sports MMA on Why Retirement Sucks (Heavy.com)

Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin Rumor Heats Up (Versus.com)

Bellator Middleweight Hector Lombard Wants to Fight Josh Barnett for Personal Reasons (CagePotato.com)

MMA Agent Gives Readers a Look Behind the Scenes (WatchKalibRun.com)

Strikeforce Scott Coker Waxes Poetic on “Diaz vs. Noons II” and More (FIGHT! Magazine)

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Gets Animated! (MMAScraps.com)

Jon Jones is Tired of Wrestlers and Explains Why (MMAConvert.com)

“Strikeforce is the home of the best heavyweight division in the world and I’m proud to be able to call it my home now,” said the 32-year-old Barnett (29-5), an expert in catch wrestling who hails from Seattle, Wash.

“I’m looking forward to competing amongst the greatest fighters in the world and fighting my way to another world title.”

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Barnett became the youngest UFC champion in history at age 24 when he scored a second-round TKO (4:35) on Randy “The Natural” Couture in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 22, 2002. In his sixth career fight, Barnett submitted wrestling and MMA legend Dan “The Beast” Severn with an armbar in the fourth round (1:21) in Hawaii.

In addition to his achievements in America, Barnett has spent a good portion of his career competing in top tier promotions overseas, including the now defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan where he notched memorable victories over the likes of Aleksander Emelianenko, Mark Hunt and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. On Oct. 21, 2006, Barnett took part in PRIDE’s first event on U.S. soil, submitting Pawel Nastula with a toe hold in the second round (3:04) at Las Vegas’s Thomas & Mack Center.

In 2008, Barnett competed in another Japanese promotion, Sengoku. After submitting (heel hook) Hidehiko Yoshida in Tokyo on March 5, 2008, Barnett returned to action on May 18, 2008, and earned a unanimous decision over top-ranked rival and fellow American Jeff “The Snowman” Monson.

Barnett signed an agreement to compete in Japan’s DREAM promotion earlier this year. Last March 22, he made his debut with the organization, submitting former K-1 tournament champion and devastating power puncher, “Mighty Mo” Siligia, with a kimura at 4:41 of the first round.

On July 10, Barnett followed up the strong showing with a first-round TKO (punches) over Geronimo dos Santos in the main event of a fight card in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Josh Barnett

It had been reported that Barnett was scratched from the card earlier today due to failing a drug test, and the news of his test coming back positive for steroids was recently revealed by Mike Straka from Fox Fight Game.

It is expected that the positive testing for steroids will come with a lengthy suspension from competition in the United States for Barnett.

This was the first time that the California State Athletic Commission has held out of competition testing.

An opponent for Fedor Emelianenko is currently being sought. Possible opponents for “The Last Emperor” currently include Vitor Belfort, Brett Rogers, Ricardo Arona and Bobby Lashley.

Be sure to check back with FiveOuncesOfPain.com as we continue to keep you up to date on this breaking story.

Josh Barnett

The confirmation of Barnett being yanked from the upcoming event comes courtesy of Affliction VP Tom Atencio in a recent report published by MMAFanhouse.com.

“[Barnett] tested positive for a banned substance,” Atencio was quoted as saying. “The athletic commission will not reinstate his license.”

It has also been reported that there are four strong candidates being considered as possible replacements to face “The Last Emperor” on just over a weeks notice; Vitor Belfort, Bobby Lashley, Brett Rogers, and Ricardo Arona. Fabricio Werdum may also be a potential opponent for Fedor on August 1.

Be sure to check back with FiveOuncesOfPain.com as we will continue to keep you in the loop on this still developing story.

Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett have verbally agreed to meet at the next Affliction event tentatively scheduled for August 1 according to a recent report by MMA Fanhouse. The event is to take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

Fedor has been Affliction’s golden boy and he has delivered in two outstanding performances on his part. At the first Affliction event in July of 2008 he dismantled former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in just 36 seconds. This past January at “The Day of Reckoning” pay-per-view he knocked out another former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in the first round.

Josh Barnett has competed on both cards as well defeating Pedro Rizzo and then Gilbert Yvel. The two also fought for Pride and there was talk back then of a Barnett-Fedor bout but it obviously never happened. Some have speculated that the two share a close friendship and have been hesitant to fight each other. Regardless this is the only bout that makes sense for Affliction in what could be its last hurrah.

Also rumored for the unnamed event is a fight featuring Gegard Mousassi who won the Dream middleweight grand prix but has since decided to move up to the light heavyweight division. His opponent is none other than the “Phenom” Vitor Belfort who has currently been fighting at middleweight but has fought at 205lbs in the past.

Belfort has been impressive in his last two bouts as he knocked out Terry Martin in the second round of the inaugural Affliction card and then completely devastated perennial top 10 middleweight Matt Lindland with a left hand just seconds into their bout at “Day of Reckoning” leaving Lindland unconscious for sometime on the canvas.

Tim Sylvia who is taking part in a boxing match with 47 year old former world champion Ray Mercer next month in Alabama is rumored to be on the card as well. His opponent may be either Gilbert Yvel or Paul Buentello.

Rumors of the matchup began to surface yesterday, but the official M-1 site quotes company President Vadim Finkelchtein as confirming that official talks are taking place and that Fedor vs. Barnett could become official within the next ten days.

Emelianenko, 30-1, last competed on Jan. 24 during Affliction’s “Day of Reckoning” event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. After getting off to a slow start vs. former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, Emelianenko rebounded after connecting with a cross while Arlovski attempted to deliver a flying knee. The fight was officially ruled a knockout at 3:14 of round 1.

Barnett also competed on the same card, defeating former PRIDE heavyweight Gilbert Yvel at 3:05 of round 3 after Yvel submitted due to repeated punches on the ground. The victory improved Barnett’s lifetime MMA record to 24-5 and extended his win streak to four.

According to the M-1Global.com report, if finalized, Fedor vs. Barnett could take place at a co-promoted Affliction and M-1 event in early-August with the Honda Center in Anaheim likely to be the host venue.

Update: Ariel Helwani of AOL’s MMA FanHouse contacted Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio ,who clearly stated nothing has been finalized. “I haven’t finalized it yet,” Atencio is quoted as telling Helwani. “You know me, I like to get everything finalized before making an announcement.”

Josh Gross of SI.com went on to say that although a date has not been secured plans are in motion for a battle between the two heavyweights. The bout was set-up over a month ago when both fighters were victorious at Affliction’s last pay-per-view, “Day of Reckoning.” Barnett defeated Gilbert Yvel by third round submission and Emelianenko defeated former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski via  round knockout.

Emelianenko who is ranked as the number pound for pound fighter on most pundits lists has defeated everyone who has been thrown in front of him including Tim Sylvia who he defeated in just 36 seconds at the inaugural Affliction pay-per-view last July. The former PRIDE superstar holds notable victories over five former UFC heavyweight champions including Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera, Tim Sylvia, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman and Arlovski.

Barnett could be number six as he stands as the youngest UFC heavyweight champion. He captured the title from Randy Couture back in 2002 at the age of 24 but was soon stripped of the title after it was discovered he tested positive for steroids. Barnett (24-5) also fought in the PRIDE organization but for some reason he never challenged Emelianenko. Apparently the two share a close friendship and that may have been a reason these two have yet to meet.

Affliction’s Jan. 24 show, titled “Day of Reckoning,” will air on Showtime pay-per-view and will emanate from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The event will be headlined by Fedor Emelianenko defending the WAMMA heavyweight title vs. former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

Barnett has been advertised for the event but no opponent has been announced. While a deal is not yet in place with Rogers, sources indicate that the promotion’s preferrence is to sign the 8-0 Minnesota native.

Barnett is a former UFC heavyweight champion and is ranked as a top ten heavyweight by MMA Weekly, Sherdog, and the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA).

Nicknamed the “Babyface Assassin,” Barnett has not competed since a second round knockout over former UFC heavyweight title contender Pedro Rizzo during Affliction’s debut event, “Banned,” on July 19.

The former PRIDE superstar is 23-5 during a professional fighting career that began in 1997. In that time, Barnett has recorded notable victories over Randy Couture, Dan Severn, Semmy Schilt, Hidehiko Yoshida, Aleksander Emelianenko, Mark Hunt, and current interim UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Rogers, a member of Team Bison MMA in St. Paul, is still under contract to EliteXC. Despite not being a free agent, he would be allowed to compete at the Jan. 24 event as ProElite, the parent company of EliteXC, is giving permission to many of its fighters to sign one-off deals with other promotions while it helps to reorganize.

The 6’5” bruiser is 3-0 while competing under the EliteXC banner. Rogers made his debut for the promotion during the undercard of its “Renegade” event last November, where he submitted Ralph Kelly via punches at 1:43 of round 1.

Following the Kelly victiory, he returned to the cage during EliteXC’s “Street Certified” event and he improved to 2-0 in EliteXC following a first round knockout over James Thompson in Showtime’s televised opener of the event.

From there, Rogers became one of two men to compete in the first-ever mixed martial arts bout to be televised live on primetime network television on May 31. Matched up against former Syracuse linebacker Jon Murphy during the opener of EliteXC and CBS’ first-ever telecast of “Saturday Night Fights,” the former tire technician improved to 8-0 overall with a first round knockout.

Rogers has not competed since the win over Murphy but had been scheduled to return to competition on Nov. 8. He was set to fight Paul Buentello during EliteXC’s ill-fated Reno event that was canceled after Showtime pulled a financial commitment. Incidentally, Buentello is also scheduled for the Jan. 24 show in a bout vs. Fedor Emelianenko-protege, Kiril “Baby Fedor” Sidelnikov.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has confirmed the news after contacting Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer.

The October show has been postponed until January and is expected to take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., which was the site of the promotion’s first-ever event on July 19.

“Day of Reckoning” was originally supposed to be headlined by Fedor Emelianenko defending his WAMMA heavyweight title against former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. However, Fedor was forced to pull out of the show due to a hand injury that was aggravated during his win against Tim Sylvia in the main event of Affliction’s first show.

Affliction officials replaced Fedor in the main event with another former UFC heavyweight champion, Josh Barnett, and the Arlovski vs. Barnett matchup was billed as a fight to determine the number one contender to Fedor’s title.

Reasons for the postponed are not yet known, however, MMARated.com’s Ariel Helwani is speculating that with just little over a month to go that Affliction had possibly sold as little as 700 tickets for the Thomas & Mack, which can seat up to 19,522 spectators.

Reasons for the possible slow ticket sales could be due to the fact that locals in Las Vegas consider the UFC to essentially be a local sports team and perceive other promotions as outsiders. Also, a boxing match between Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson is also scheduled to be held the same night on the strip.

“I think definitely by New Year’s Eve I’ll be ready to go,” the 31-year-old Russian told SI.com Sunday.

“My desire at this point is to meet with the winner of the fight,” said Emelianenko, the only current WAMMA champ. “But I still have a desire to fight with whomever loses as well.

But it doesn’t look like Fedor’s return to the ring will come against the winner of the aforementioned fight between Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett. It looks like it will come against an opponent to be determined on a New Year’s Eve show in Japan and that opponent doesn’t look to be Mirko Cro Cop:

Early speculation centered on a rematch of Emelianenko’s tremendous points win in 2005 over Mirko Filipovic. However, a representative for the No. 1-ranked heavyweight said it’s doubtful the fight would take place at this time. In a bout intended for Japanese fight fans, Emelianenko will likely meet a “judo legend or sumo wrestler.”

It would appear that Fedor will fight in another freakshow fight before he steps back into the ring against a legitimate opponent. “Judo legend or sumo wrestler” does not sound like a true challenge for the heavyweight king and is most likely a match that will be put together to appease the Japanese fans on New Year’s Eve. Let’s just hope that after he mauls whatever giant or washed up judoka they put in there with him that he gets back to fighting the top caliber heavyweights in Affliction.