Coker: Multiple regulatory bodies will license Barnett
With Barnett currently unlicensed to fight in the U.S. since the summer of 2009 because of his third positive test…
With Barnett currently unlicensed to fight in the U.S. since the summer of 2009 because of his third positive test for anabolic steroids, questions linger over his ability to compete. However, Coker said Strikeforce has engaged in conversations with multiple regulatory bodies that are apparently willing to license the fighter, presuming he provides a clean drug test. Coker said at this point he doesn’t intend to promote Barnett in California, where the heavyweight is scheduled to appear in front of the state’s athletic commission in February.
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Is there any concern about Josh Barnett getting a license?
Not at all. We’ve talked to four athletic commissions that will license him with a clean test. We feel confident that won’t be an issue. Keep in mind Josh Barnett went to Sacramento six weeks ago, took a test and was clean. He hasn’t fought for a year-and-a-half in America. He still has issues in California, so his fight won’t be in California, but Josh has moved on, and we’re moving on, too. He’s been out of the fight business in America for 18 months. I think he’s served his time.
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Two states Barnett likely will not be fighting in, aside from California, are Nevada and New Jersey.
Nevada isn’t on that list, Coker told Sherdog.com. Let him go appeal to any state that has a commission. Josh has some work to do in California. But he’s paid his dues. Let him make a living and go to work. But I don’t think he’s going to be fighting in California.
With at least two months before his date with Rogers, Barnett still has time to appease a state commission with random drug testing and other demonstrable acts of reformation. After allegedly testing positive for steroids three times, it may take that much for Barnett to be able to fight in the U.S. again.
George Dodd, CSAC executive director, said that Barnett is currently on the agenda for the commission’s next quarterly meeting on Feb. 4 in Los Angeles, but that Barnett’s chances for a obtaining a California license are dwindling with each rescheduled hearing.
I think the commission is getting to a point where it’s wasting our time. It’s on the agenda. They got a continuance to the second one. In the third one, he didn’t appear, but his lawyers appeared and he was in Japan, said Dodd. He’s on the agenda for Feb. 4. If he doesn’t contact me by Jan. 10, he won’t be going in front of the commission. If everybody could just get together, we could get this taken care of.