If Fedor Emelianenko needed any more reason to come to the UFC, news broke yesterday that his opponent for the August 1 Affliction pay-per-view, Josh Barnett, tested positive for steroids and has been pulled from the card.

Emelianenko, known as the top heavyweight MMA fighter in the world, has been in the spotlight recently. Since UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar destroyed Frank Mir at UFC 100 July 11, the push has started to get the two monsters in the cage.

This current mess should help Fedor see the light of day when it comes to the UFC. Affliction as well as other MMA promotions, seem like fly-by-night operations when compared to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The UFC has had its share of steroid scandals. But with top-tier talents on the roster, and not past-their-prime fighters cheating their way into one more payday, the UFC has a sense of stability and professionalism that lacks in these others leagues.

Taking Barnett’s place is Vitor Belfort (18-8), another MMA fighter who tested positive for steroid use back in 2006. The Brazilian is a former UFC light heavyweight champion and has scored back-to-back impressive knockout victories over Terry Martin and Matt Lindland in the past two Affliction cards.

Emelianenko will toss Belfort aside, regardless of the short notice, and hopefully will start taking steps towards signing with MMA’s most reliable source.