Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

In a week that left every MMA fan with a massive hangover…

– Affliction heavyweight Josh Barnett pissed dirty in a random drug test, and was yanked from next Saturday’s “Trilogy” Card. After a futile search for a replacement opponent, Affliction decided it would be easier for everybody if they just went back to selling t-shirts.

– Lithuanian underdog Marius Zaromskis won DREAM’s welterweight grand prix by knocking out Hayato Sakurai and Jason High on the same night.

– Strikeforce’s formerly-epic “Carano vs. Cyborg” card lost two title fights, one due to an infected hand and the other due to an unfortunate drug reaction.

– Instead of the title shot he was promised, UFC middleweight star Dan Henderson has to fight Rich Franklin again, just eight months after he beat him the first time.

– UFC old-schooler Kimo Leopoldo was discovered not dead of a heart attack. He was, and still is, 41.

– We wondered what the future holds for the UFC’s fallen U.K. poster boy Michael Bisping.

– In a sport full of turmoil and constant surprises, we can always count on Gina Carano to look hot in public.

Pay-Per View events for Mixed-Martial Arts have always tried to have catchy names, including Affliction: Trilogy, which was set to take place on Aug. 1. Well, after a whirlwind 48 hours, here is a better name for the promotion: Affliction: Out-of-Business.

Yahoo! Sports MMA writer Kevin Iole, who has been covering MMA for years, first reported that Affliction main-event fighter Josh Barnett tested positive for steroids just days ago. Then today, he reported that not only would the fight promotion cancel its third MMA event, but also that it will now cease to exist as a fight promotion.

That is quite a drastic turnaround in less than a week.

Just last weekend fans were clamoring for the main-event of Affliction, which was schedule to be Barnett vs. Fedor Emelianenko. Fedor is considered one of the best fighters in the world, and was really all Affliction had going for it in promoting Pay-Per View events.

Before discussing the importance of this closing and the impact it could have on MMA and mostly, the UFC, here is a quick timeline of Affliction’s demise:

Read the rest of this entry »