"It was just a random selection ... and in some cases if there's prior history, that is also a flag ... it allows us that opportunity to test that individual and require a clean test prior to renewal of a license ... The inspector that observed this particular test is one of our drug testing experts in terms of the correction procedure, and works on many events of this nature, and oversees a lot of the drug testing that's performed by our staff. In this particular case, this was a hands-on test that he performed himself ... And in terms of the lab itself, we have been using the same lab that tests the NFL and the International Olympic Games, as recently as the last Games, they tested every sample ever took there. They test the NCAA for all the sports, all minor league baseball. It's a very, very tough lab to dispute - the best of them all. So it was almost a trial, so to speak, to see what the process was going to be like moving forward so we can learn from this. And it just so happens that the first one we've ever done here in California produced a result. First one ever. I mean, right out of the gate."
California State Athletic Commission's assistant executive officer, Bill Douglas, talks to MMA Fanhouse in wake of the pre-fight drug test that returned a positive result for Affliction headliner Josh Barnett -- the second of his career. "The Babyface Assassin" has been denied a license to compete at "Trilogy" on August 1 against Fedor Emelianenko and is expected to be replaced by Vitor Belfort in the main event. Barnett previously stated that his drug test was not random and that he was planning an appeal pending the results of his second sample. No matter what the outcome, Barnett will have an uphill battle trying to market himself to a stateside promotion going forward.
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