At least Josh Barnett is consistent

[brutus]

At least Josh Barnett is consistent.

For the third time in three attempts, Barnett, who at 24 became the youngest champion in UFC history, postponed Monday an appeal hearing in front of the California State Athletic Commission to address the regulatory body's decision to deny his license after an alleged positive test in July for anabolic steroids.

While Barnett's legal team cited the need to gather additional information from the WADA facility at UCLA that conducted the test as justification for delays in August and October, the latest setback was blamed on the blizzard that slammed the Northeast over the weekend. Among the many victims of flight cancellations was Barnett's New York-based legal counsel, Michael J. DiMaggio, who was set to travel to the West Coast on Sunday for the hearing in downtown Los Angeles.

Barnett's appeal was rescheduled for Feb. 22, 2010. If he fails to fight by the the end of January, it will mark at least 12 months between bouts for the talented 31-year-old mixed martial artist.

Because Barnett, who recently earned a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from Erik Paulson, took the July urinalysis as an unlicensed combatant -- it was required as part of the process leading up to what many considered among the most anticipated heavyweight fights of the year versus Fedor Emelianenko -- the third positive test for anabolic steroids in his 12-year career did not immediately warrant a fine or suspension.

Barnett's inability to gain licensure forced him out of the bout against the heralded Russian. It also was blamed for the eventual cancellation of Affliction's Aug. 1 card in Anaheim, Calif., knocked the clothing manufacturer out of the fight promotions business, landed Emelianenko in Strikeforce and established promotional battle lines in the latter half of 2009.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission nailed Barnett (25-4) following his UFC title-winning fight over Randy Couture in 2002 after three separate anabolic steroids were found in his system. The subsequent six-month suspension resulted in the UFC's stripping the belt from Barnett, whose contract with the promoter was up for renegotiation. A third positive exam, in 2001, during the early testing phase of the NSAC drug prevention policy, went unpunished.

Barnett denies ever using anabolic steroids, and has questioned the legitimacy of the test results in California and Nevada.

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