Barnett Granted Second Extension for CSAC Appeal

LOS ANGELES –- Josh Barnett was granted a second extension Monday for an appeals hearing the fighter had requested after the California State Athletic Commission denied his re-licensure in late July due to a positive pre-test for an anabolic steroid. The new hearing will be held on Dec. 8.

CSAC Interim Executive Officer David T. Thornton informed the commission that Barnett’s attorney, Michael J. DiMaggio, contacted him last Friday to request the extension, as the law firm is still awaiting additional information from the UCLA laboratory that conducted Barnett’s tests.

Barnett was pulled from a headlining bout against Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction “Trilogy” on Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The event was cancelled a few days later.

The CSAC notified Barnett on July 21 that he had tested positive for the anabolic steroid 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one in a June 25 pre-test conducted to renew his license. A second sample was laboratory-tested and came back with the same results on July 29, according to the CSAC.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Barnett, 31, for six months in 2002 due to a post-fight urinalysis that revealed the presence of three anabolic agents (Boldenone metabolite, Fluoxymesterone metabolite and Nandrolone metabolite) in his body when he defeated Randy Couture to win the heavyweight title at UFC 36. Barnett denied using the anabolic steroids and challenged the NSAC’s testing protocol.

Joe Hall contributed to this report.