Where Should Affliction’s Top Fighters Go?

With rumors about a new heavyweight tournament bustling for months and fighters like Kazuyuki Fujita, Barnett, Jeff Monson, Marcio Cruz, Antonio Silva, James Thompson, Blagoi Ivanov, Satoshi Ishii, Mark Hunt, Sergei Kharitonov, Bob Sapp, Semmy Schilt and the Overeem brothers in active working relationships with either one of these two promotions, Emelianenko may again find a challenge to his moniker as the strongest fighter on earth in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Last Exit Nippon

Japan also figures to be the place of refuge for Barnett, whom many American fight fans have chosen as the scapegoat for Affliction’s failure. “The Babyfaced Assassin” has had a Nippon affinity for years and will likely look to Tokyo to either work for his MMA home base promotion, Sengoku, or his current professional wrestling employer, IGF.

With his fight against Emelianenko having garnered plenty of interest in Asia, as well, it cannot be ruled out that Sengoku and Dream, which remain close to Emelianenko’s flagship, M-1 Global, will work together to make that fight happen in Japan, possibly on New Year’s Eve. Telephone lines are probably already running hot with sponsorship and television deal talks.

Affliction’s collapse also ensures fighters like Jason High, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, L.C. Davis and Jorge Santiago will continue fighting mainly in Japan. Deividas Taurosevicius, who was scheduled to face Mark Hominick at “Trilogy,” might also try to jump to Dream on the back of his compatriot Marius Zaromskis’ success in the welterweight grand prix earlier this month.

Another big name fighter who saw his U.S. debut burst like a bubble was Gegard Mousasi. With last year’s Dream middleweight grand prix winner sharing the same management company as Emelianenko, getting the Armenian superstar signed with the UFC appears highly unlikely, as well. He seems destined to reappear in Dream this fall.

Safe-Haven Strikeforce

A half dozen of the fighters who previously appeared on Affliction cards are tipped to continue plying their trade for the neighboring Strikeforce promotion. Light heavyweight Renato “Babalu” Sobral has successfully competed for both shows in the past and will probably defend his Strikeforce 205-pound title sometime soon.

Fellow light heavyweight Mike Whitehead was unhappy with the way Affliction promoted him after its first show and requested to switch to Scott Coker’s promotion earlier this year. He will likely be joined by Paul Buentello, Terry Martin and Bao Quach, all of whom have a history with the San Jose, Calif.-based organization.

In addition, there are currently talks ongoing to make former IFL welterweight champion and one-time Affliction undercard fighter Jay Hieron the replacement for Joe Riggs in a bout with Strikeforce star Nick Diaz for the promotion’s vacant welterweight belt on Aug. 15. Hieron’s hard-nosed mix of boxing and wrestling could be just what the doctor ordered to challenge the California bad boy.

A UFC Home

Just like when Elite XC dissolved and Zuffa eventually picked up just one of its stars, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, it does not appear the UFC will have the chance or the interest to add some of Affliction’s more prominent names to its roster due to its strict contract designs.

Vitor Belfort’s return to the Octagon seemed virtually decided even before his scheduled fight against Jorge Santiago at “Trilogy.” The Brazilian boxer and jiu-jitsu player has once again fueled the hopes of his numerous fans, who believe he has returned to form after a move to the middleweight division. There, he obliterated Terry Martin and Matt Lindland at the first two Affliction events.

Possible matchups with top pound-for-pound ace and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, as well as a highly anticipated rematch with the ever-popular Wanderlei Silva, make his return to the promotion a no-brainer. Belfort vs. Silva 2 would also make a perfect main event for the UFC’s possible return to Brazil.

Other former Affliction athletes already contracted with Zuffa include Randy Couture teammate Mike Pyle, who stepped in on short notice to fight Brock Larson at UFC 98 in May, and former IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson, who was cast on Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Whispers that former Pride star Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will join his twin brother in the UFC have also surfaced. “Minotoro” could further bolster the strongest light heavyweight division in all of MMA. His return rests on his manager, Ed Soares, and UFC Vice President of Talent Relations Joe Silva coming to financial terms.

Limited Options

As always, there are a couple of hardship cases that were struck particularly hard by the breakup of Affliction as a fight promotion. Heavyweights Andrei Arlovski, Ben Rothwell, Tim Sylvia and Gilbert Yvel stand out.

While Arlovski may try his luck in boxing, Rothwell has hopes of being snapped up by M-1 Global, a promotion with which he worked in 2002. Yvel will continue to receive offers from mid-level American promotions like Fight Force International or Call to Arms. There are also rumors that his fight with countryman Alistair Overeem, cancelled in April of last year, will finally come to fruition at Golden Glory’s 10-year anniversary show in Amsterdam on Oct. 17. Sylvia’s best offer may come from one of the major Japanese promotions, possibly to star in a heavyweight tournament next year.

Questions also surround the futures of Takanori Gomi, Matt Lindland and Paul Daley. Gomi is likely headed back to Shooto, at least until his management has established whether there is potential interest from Strikeforce to have him fight in the US. Lindland remains stuck between a rock and a hard place, and Daley will most certainly put on the next edition of his own Ultimate Gladiators event in Nottingham, England, to keep himself busy.

Remembering Affliction

Affliction’s run as a fight promotion was a true rollercoaster ride. Sporting highlights were intertwined with event postponements, cancellations and continued speculation about how long the company could survive given the generous compensation of its star fighters.

What really sticks out in the minds of many was its vision, however. The company had the wherewithal to put on super events that had fans hanging on the edge of their seats from the opening bell. Hopefully, somewhere down the line, a different promoter will be able to revitalize it with a little more longevity.