Affliction Card Canceled: What Does This Mean For Fedor?

Yesterday, news broke that the Affliction card was canceled. Details are sketchy as of now, but the prevailing theme is that Affliction was canceled in large part because of Josh Barnett; he tested positive for steroids, and was scheduled to face Fedor.

So Affliction is canceled. What does this mean for Fedor/UFC? MMA fans have been drooling at the possibility of Fedor Emelianenko signing a contract with the UFC and fighting Brock Lesnar. All signs are pointing to Affliction folding as an MMA company; after all, they basically held their company on the shoulders of one fighter - Fedor. Fedor Emelianenko has one fight left on the Affliction contract. It's not inconceivable that the UFC would buy out the remaining contracts of some or all Affliction fighters, so Fedor could fight in the octagon. But that would mean Fedor would only be fighting under contract once; something the UFC has made clear repeatedly in the past; they would not sign Fedor to a one fight contract.

I do know one thing - this is something MMA fans want, and want bad. Can Dana White and company deliver?

In other news, Dana White was on ESPN radio yesterday. It is official that Tito Ortiz is coming back to the UFC. I've been cruising the message board over at Sherdog; most of the posters seem happy that he'll be fighting in the UFC again.

Ortiz might be over the hill, but there is no denying he isn't a big draw for the UFC.