Strikeforce's Coker: "Affliction Was Getting Out of the Business a Month Ago."

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed Fighters.com’s hypothesis that Affliction M-1 Global’s Trilogy was Affliction’s final event regardless of ninth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett‘s (20-5) positive test for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid, causing the cancellation of Trilogy.

Barnett denies using steroids.

In an interview published at MMA Weekly, Coker said, “That was already in the works. How they got out…[if] they became a sponsor for Strikeforce, [were] the conversations we were having. This was their last fight, so there would be no more fighters. The dialogue was that they were getting out of the business a month ago.”

Hours after cancelling Trilogy, Affliction and the UFC announced a collaboration promoting Affliction’s apparel line in the Octagon with the agreement that Affliction would cease promoting fights.

Coker said he was in negotiations with Affliction to make a simliar arrangement, but that negotiations broke down after Barnett’s positive steroid test.

Evidently Affliction was having similar negotiations with the UFC and UFC President Dana White knew Trilogy was Affliction’s final event.

White had identified Affliction middleweight “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) as the top contender to UFC middleweight champion “Spyder” Anderson Silva (24-4) during The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in Las Vegas 20 June. Then, White guaranteed a showdown between Lesnar and Emelianenko in the Octagon at the post-fight press conference after UFC 100 in Las Vegas 11 July. Both declarations were odd because White is known for soundbites disrespecting and disregarding fighters not currently in the UFC, including ex-UFC champions.

Fighters.com asked Atencio whether the Affliction/UFC deal was in the works prior to Trilogy’s cancellation giving reason for White to begin complimenting fighters he had a reasonable expectation of being able to sign in the near future. Atencio did not respond, but Coker seems to confirm that assertion.

News of the Affliction/UFC collaboration blind-sided M-1 Global executives. “This is first I hear all this,” an M-1 Global spokesperson told Fighters.com when asked to comment on the Affliction/UFC collaboration before it was officially announced.

During a press conference in Anaheim Wednesday, M-1 USA Veep of Legal Affairs Steve Bash stated, “We’re exploring all options at the time, legally with regard to Affliction and what we perceived took place. I can promise you and promise Affliction, if something was done wrong, someone will be held responsible.” There is no indication that Affliction did anything illegal or violated agreements with M-1 Global.

However, there was tension between Affliction and M-1 Global. After the success of Affliction’s first show, Banned, in July 2008 when Emelianenko knocked out former UFC champion “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-6) in 36 seconds, M-1 Global executives made increased demands about the visibility of M-1 Global’s presence in the marketing and production of the shows and use of their fighters.

Subsequently, Day of Reckoning and Trilogy were promoted as “Affliction M-1 Global” events and the M-1 Global logo became more prominent in marketing.

Emelianenko also became leverage to include M-1 Global fighters “Hurricane” Gilbert Yvel (33-13-1) and “Baby Fedor” Kiril Sidellnikov (6-3) on Day of Reckoning versus “Babyfaced Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) and “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (27-9) respectively. An M-1 Global executive threatened to pull Emelianenko off the card, effectively sabotaging the event, if Barnett was not matched versus M-1 Global’s Yvel. M-1 Global also demanded career high paydays for their fighters to fight on Affliction M-1 Global cards.

M-1 Global had no official comment when contacted by Fighters.com.