Strikeforce's Barnett expects no licensing issues; Texas commission says CSAC not a factor
Strikeforce heavyweight Josh Barnett has yet to be licensed to fight at "Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum." Of course, that's the case with eight other fighters on the card.
Susan Stanford, the public information officer for the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration, today told MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) that Barnett is among those who have yet to meet the licensing requirements for the event.
However, the fighters have until 72 hours prior to the event – by 5 p.m. CT on June 15, to be exact – before they lose eligibility to fight.
Barnett declined commenting on his licensing situation but assured his Twitter followers that reports of possible difficulty with the commission were much ado about nothing. (Zuffa LLC officials could not be reached for comment.)
"Everything is as planned and by the book with [Texas]," he wrote today. "Watch me in the ring [June 18]."
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker on Tuesday expressed confidence that Barnett (29-5 MMA, 0-0 SF) will be able to fight Brett Rogers (11-2 MMA, 2-2 SF) as planned in a quarterfinal matchup in the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix.
"Yeah, Josh is going to be fine, and he will be fighting on Texas," he said. "So we don't anticipate any issues."
"Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum" takes place June 18 at American Airlines Center in Dallas. In addition to Barnett vs. Rogers, a second quarterfinal matchup pits Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem against Fabricio Werdum in a non-title affair. The event's main card airs live on Showtime, and the preliminary card airs on HDNet.
Barnett most recently fought this past July when he defeated Geronimo Dos Santos at "Impact FC 1: The Uprising" in Australia. During his 14-year pro career, he has fought in nearly every major organization, including the UFC, PRIDE, Affliction, World Victory Road and DREAM. In 2002, the then-24-year-old fighter became a UFC heavyweight champ with a win over Randy Couture, though he was later stripped of the title due to failing a drug test.
Barnett has faced additional scrutiny following that setback and since a second positive test prior to a scheduled fight with Fedor Emelianenko at "Affliction: Trilogy" prompted the California State Athletic Commission to deny him a license (the event soon after was canceled). He attempted to regain a license this past December at a CSAC hearing but later withdrew his application.
Stanford said Barnett's history in California is not a factor in his application for licensure in Texas because the fighter is not currently under administrative suspension on a registry of fighters maintained by the Association of Boxing Commissions.
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