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I believe it was Biggz that I discussed the possibility of Sanchez/Florian with after the Sanchez/Guida fight. If KenFlo defeats Penn and goes on to face Sanchez then I feel the odds are in Florian's favor. I really can't see anyone other than Florian at the top of that division right now.

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Bloody Elbow can confirm that John Skipper, Executive Vice President at ESPN in charge of content attended UFC 100 as a guest of Dana White. This was the first UFC event he has ever attended.

Is something brewing between the UFC and ESPN? When Bob Ryan said that the producers of PTI told him he had to talk about MMA for five minutes, it made me wonder if ESPN's extensive coverage of the UFC after UFC 100 had something to do with a potential business deal with the UFC.

There are rumors circling that the UFC is in the closing stages of a deal to bring a major live show to network television. Dana White added fuel to this fire on July 21 when he told ESPN radio that he is currently negotiating a deal to bring the UFC to a major network. The UFC's deal with Spike TV is cable-exclusive, but would not prevent a deal with ABC, a network whose sports coverage is entirely delegated to ESPN ("ABC Sports" is now "ESPN on ABC.")

I've avoided reporting on potential UFC network deals for the last year because they come up and fall through so often. But it appears something is brewing between the UFC and ESPN. Whether or not it actually pans out is a whole different story.

We'll see how this pans out, could have merely been a ploy to get every UFC covered by ESPN --- However, since the Spike deal is exclusive that only leaves the big four as a "major" network. I can't see Disney putting the UFC on their airwaves just yet, but it's newsworthy.

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isn't CBS the top network?

It is the most viewed (thanks to CSI and the like), but where does it say they are going to the "top" network.

And the reason you've heard about CBS is due to the EXC purchase by Strikeforce. I'd have to search somewhere, but I think Strikeforce could put on a CBS show. However, I'm not sure as to the full details of how all of that shook down. Regardless I don't see the UFC going on to CBS mainly due to they'd be the second on that network on Primetime.

NBC is nuts for not throwing money at the UFC. Seeing as they are dead last and in need of young viewers of any sort.

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That seems rather unusual. Surely, someone would be willingly to face Fedor.

It seemed a number of guys were willing to step up and face him, but they were seemingly too hesitant to pull the trigger on any one of them. I would have like to seen Fedor/Monson myself.

I'm thinking (my personal idea here, don't take it as anything else) is that they were banking on Fedor/Barnett to draw enough to help them out of the financial troubles they have been dodging.

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Affliction Cancels ‘Trilogy’

Friday, July 24, 2009

by Brian Knapp (bnapp@sherdog.com)

A week of misfortune turned to disaster for Affliction Entertainment on Friday, as the promotion canceled Affliction “Trilogy,” which had been scheduled for Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

SI.com reported the news Friday morning, and Sherdog.com has confirmed that Affliction is notifying fighters' camps.

The cancellation -- which could spell the end of Affliction's year-long run as a mixed martial arts promotion -- comes on the heels of heavyweight Josh Barnett's failed drug test, which forced him out of the “Trilogy” main event against Fedor Emelianenko on Wednesday. Barnett, 32, tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid and was denied licensure by the California State Athletic Commission.

Promoters scrambled to find a replacement opponent for Emelianenko and reportedly considered middleweight Vitor Belfort, light heavyweight prospect Muhammed Lawal and heavyweights Brett Rogers, Paul Buentello, Jeff Monson and Bobby Lashley.

Well shit. I was looking forward to watching Fedor's match, whomever it might've been against.

Edited by Jayzon
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Affliction Cancels ‘Trilogy’

Friday, July 24, 2009

by Brian Knapp (bnapp@sherdog.com)

A week of misfortune turned to disaster for Affliction Entertainment on Friday, as the promotion canceled Affliction “Trilogy,” which had been scheduled for Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

SI.com reported the news Friday morning, and Sherdog.com has confirmed that Affliction is notifying fighters' camps.

The cancellation -- which could spell the end of Affliction's year-long run as a mixed martial arts promotion -- comes on the heels of heavyweight Josh Barnett's failed drug test, which forced him out of the “Trilogy” main event against Fedor Emelianenko on Wednesday. Barnett, 32, tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid and was denied licensure by the California State Athletic Commission.

Promoters scrambled to find a replacement opponent for Emelianenko and reportedly considered middleweight Vitor Belfort, light heavyweight prospect Muhammed Lawal and heavyweights Brett Rogers, Paul Buentello, Jeff Monson and Bobby Lashley.

Well shit. I was looking forward to watching Fedor's match, whomever it might've been against.

Three post above you.

On another topic, Mir/Kongo is being rumored for 107. No major sources as I can tell yet, just random MMA sites. Biggz, confirm this any?

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Three post above you.

I did see it, thank you very much, I just thought that a little longer post concerning the cancellation was needed. You know, one with a source, rather than just a one-liner by "some guy".

No offense. :)

Edited by Jayzon
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Seriously, I can see why he did that, but you - just go away, please.

And still you had to be a smart-ass? Just go away, please.

I just said that I understand why you did that after, to include the source. I wasn't thinking about the source as I normally only post legit news, not rumors. The lack of source was on me. I had said "three post above" because you had only Copied and Pasted what seemed like a random news story with nothing else (such was "More details", "further information", etc.) so I read it as you just throwing up a C+P story at random during the discussion already taking place. Much like happens often in The Ring News Threads. Nothing 'smart ass' was meant about "three post above", nor am I sure how it came off smart ass, either way, nothing was meant by it.

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Mir/Kongo? Ugh. I still refuse to rate Kongo and think Mir will/would murder him, maybe I'm wrong.

Shame about the Fedor fight being off. Although I laugh at the possibility of him against Monson. Was that actually a serious possibility? Good god.

Monson wouldn't have been any worse than any other possibility. He's been tearing through guys at an accelerated rate in an attempt to propel himself back up the rankings.

Vitor Belfort was ready to step in, and that would have been a very good fight... so I don't know why they would have cancelled the show.

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