[autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] is once again out of a fight with [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag], but this time Markes will fight on.
Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has been pulled from Bellator 241 on March 13 in Uncasville, Conn. MMA Junkie on Wednesday confirmed with promotion officials an initial report from MMA reporter Cole Shelton.
Instead, Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will fight veteran Matt Mitrione on the main card at Mohegan Sun Arena. MMA Junkie confirmed the change first reported by MMA Fighting.
Two weeks ago, reports surfaced on Twitter that Barnett was off the card due to a failed drug test. At the time time, Mike Mazzulli, head of the Mohegan Tribe Athletic Department, which oversees the card, told MMA Junkie that Barnett was not off the card. On Wednesday, however, Mazzulli told MMA Junkie that “Mr. Barnett has failed (a) medical requirement by the Mohegan Tribe Athletic Department and will not be fighting on the March 13 Bellator event. He will not be allowed to fight till he resolves the failed test.”
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Bellator officials simply said Barnett was not licensed by the commission and could not comment further.
Barnett has a considerable history with licensing issues. In 2001, he was given a warning by the Nevada Athletic Commission after testing positive for banned substances after defeating Bobby Hoffman at UFC 24. The UFC gave Barnett a heavyweight title shot anyway, and after Barnett defeated Randy Couture at UFC 36, he again tested positive for banned substances and became the first fighter ever stripped of a UFC title for doing so.
In 2009 and 2010, Barnett had a series of run-ins with the California State Athletic Commission, which ultimately resulted in a denial of licensure and led to the cancellation of an Affliction card, which he was slated to headline against Fedor Emelianenko.
In December 2016, Barnett received notice of a potential U.S. Anti-Doping Agency violation for which he was cleared, but not after being sidelined for more than a year.
Barnett was originally set to fight Markes on last December at Bellator’s “Salute the Troops” event in Hawaii, but had to withdraw because of illness the day of the card.
Markes will now make his long-delayed Bellator debut against Mitrione (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), who has dropped his past two fights to Ryan Bader and Sergei Kharitonov.
Barnett, 42, still hasn’t fought since September 2016.
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